Post by: ThreeOhFour on 09 Jun 2012, 07:48
Episode 1: Animation, The Dig, Metal Dead. (http://t.co/Td8Samfk)
Episode 2: Backgrounds, Project Nomads, Ico. (http://t.co/X1Xp8I2F)
Episode 3: Remakes, E3, Journey, Botanicula. (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_03.mp3)
Episode 4: Vince Twelve, Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened, inFAMOUS 2. (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_04.mp3)
Episode 5: Designing & Writing, The Walking Dead Episode 1, Br�tal Legend. (http://t.co/6gfX6Hvo)
Episode 6: Boss Battles, Killzone 2, Rayman Origins. (http://t.co/hh19ImQV)
Episode 7: Introductions, Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Fathers, Tiny Bang Story. (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_07.mp3)
Case 8: Releasing Your Game! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_08.mp3)
Episode? NEIN!: Starting a New Project (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_09.mp3)
Episode 10: 2013! The Morales Paradox! PETER GABRIEL! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_10.mp3)
Episode 11: Art direction! Full Throttle is good! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_11.mp3)
Episode 12: Deadlines! OROW! Magic Potions! Friendship! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_12.mp3)
Episode 13: Top Scores! Game music! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_13.mp3)
Episode 14: OROW Games! Dialogue! Silliness! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_14.mp3)
Episode 15: Consequence! Multiple endings! *SPOILERS*! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_15.mp3)
Episode 16: Companion characters! Friendship and shit like that. (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_16.mp3)
Episode 17: Atmosphere and other environmental concerns. (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_17.mp3)
Episode 18: Grundislav is a cat. (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_18.mp3)
Episode 19: Is this even a podcast? (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_19.mp3)
Episode 19.5: Top Scores 2! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_TS2.mp3)
Episode 20: Podcats. (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_20.mp3)
Episode 21: Objectives in games etc (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_21.mp3)
Episode 22: Assorted remakes, hello Joel (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_22.mp3)
Episode 23: Interface discussions, etc (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_23.mp3)
Episode 24: Halloween! Spooooky! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_24.mp3)
Episode 25: Schedules! Other rambly crap! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_25.mp3)
Episode 26: Robert A Williams!!! :angry: (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_26.mp3)
Top Scores #3! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_TS3.mp3)
Epissode 27: Anatoly. (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_27.mp3)
Epissode 28: Development workflow! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_28.mp3)
Epissode 29: On game types (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_29.mp3)
THIRTY: BALLS (teamwork) (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_30.mp3)
Episode 31: Dave Gilbert! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_31.mp3)
Episode 32: Testing & Feedback (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_32.mp3)
Episode 33: ?????????????????? (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_33.mp3)
Episode 34: DANE KRAMS (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_34.mp3)
Episode 35: Censorship, privacy, taboos etc (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_35.mp3)
Episode 36: Vegemite and paint flavoured tea (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_36.mp3)
Episode 37: Vince Twelve again! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_37.mp3)
Episode 38: Work environment. (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_38.mp3)
Episode 39: Cutting the fat. (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_39.mp3)
Episode 40: GDC (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_40.mp3)
Episode 41: Animation #2 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_41.mp3)
Episode 42: Music (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_42.mp3)
Episode 43: Backgrounds again (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_43.mp3)
Episode 44: Andail (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_44.mp3)
Episode 45: Sex Tapes Voice Acting (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_45.mp3)
Episode 46: Beta testing/feedback (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_46.mp3)
Episode 47: I honestly don't even remember it was so long ago D: (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_47.mp3)
Episode 48: Designing a story specifically for a game. (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_48.mp3)
Episode 49: Coding! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_49.mp3)
Episode 50: Talking Adventure with Richard Cobbett. (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_50.mp3)
Episode 51: It's the fifty first episode, yes it is! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_51.mp3)
Episode 52: Learning! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_52.mp3)
Episode 53: Hello again, Dave Gilbert! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_53.mp3)
Episode 54: The mailbag (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_54.mp3)
Episode 55: Development pitfalls (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_55.mp3)
Episode 56: Regrets & Things we'd do differently (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_56.mp3)
Episode 57: Making games - as a set of skills. (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_57.mp3)
Episode 58: Crisis in games as a plot motivator. (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_58.mp3)
Episode 59: Dave Gilbert returns! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_59.mp3)
Episode 60: Context. (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_60.mp3)
Episode 61: Pacing in design & writing. (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_61.mp3)
Episode 62: AdventureX (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_62.mp3)
Episode 63: THE YEAR IT FLOODED (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_63.mp3)
Episode 64: Imposter Syndrome (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_64.mp3)
Episode 65: Remakes (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_65.mp3)
Episode 66: Design without words (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_66.mp3)
Episode 67: Narration and Minigames (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_67.mp3)
Episode 68: GDC 2015 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_68.mp3)
Episode 69: Thinking about other genres (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_69.mp3)
Episode 70: Promoting your game (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_70.mp3)
Episode 71: Changes midway through production (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_71.mp3)
Episode 72: NOW YOU HAVE RUINED IT :angry::angry::angry: (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_72.mp3)
Episode 73: Stepping out (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_73.mp3)
Episode 74: Length and pacing (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_74.mp3)
Episode 75: Endings (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_75.mp3)
Episode 76: Look, are you going to give me a choice here? (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_76.mp3)
Episode 77: Being "Fun" vs being "Interesting" (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_77.mp3)
Episode 78: I wonder when Francisco will realize the first post has had Comic Sans as the font for months now (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_78.mp3)
Episode 79: DIE (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_79.mp3)
Episode 80: Trappings of the genre (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_80.mp3)
Episode 81: A T 1 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_81.mp3)
Episode 82: A T M O S F E A R (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_82.mp3)
Post by: Anian on 09 Jun 2012, 09:57
I agree with GraphicsGale (although I have some issues with getting transparency), I tried Pro Motion and while it has a lot of good tools for pixel art, the interface is clunky and really unusual. I mean just as a simple example Ctrl+Z, which is Undo in every Windows program I know, in PM it's not.
Also ASE Sprite is pretty good, doesn't have a big range of tools and the layers/frames view could be in a separate window instead of having to switch, but otherwise it's pretty light and easy to get used to.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 09 Jun 2012, 10:03
Post by: veryweirdguy on 09 Jun 2012, 10:18
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 09 Jun 2012, 11:16
Post by: abstauber on 09 Jun 2012, 11:17
I mean just as a simple example Ctrl+Z, which is Undo in every Windows program I know, in PM it's not.I beg to differ :P I'd rather say, you somehow mixed up your hotkeys. In pm it's crtl-z like everywhere else.
But now I got to listen to this podcast :D
Post by: Azure on 09 Jun 2012, 11:42
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 09 Jun 2012, 11:44
Azure: Hooray, thanks :D. Heed Francisco's warning: Action stunts can be dangerous to film!
Post by: abstauber on 09 Jun 2012, 12:25
It's really interesting hearing you talk about animations, a topic usually not that much discussed, because usually everyone seems to be much more into backgrounds.
So yeah, please do more!
Edit: There's also the stickman-method, which I happen to use for unusual situations.
(http://shatten.sonores.de/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ashra-sit2-bones.gif)(http://shatten.sonores.de/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/ashra-sit2.gif)
Oh, and if there's any chance to see some rotoscope-outtakes... I bet there's an audience waiting for it :D
Post by: Khris on 09 Jun 2012, 13:36
t=3m21s
Post by: straydogstrut on 09 Jun 2012, 14:02
I agree about the music being a little loud near the end, although overall it was very well put together. Thanks for the talk about animation. I don't have to ask my noobish questions now :embarrassed:
I loved it, especially Grundislav's stuntman story. At first I thought you were going to say you'd walked into the bedroom wall or something silly but no, and not even away from public scrutiny either.. Wish I was your neighbour. Legend :grin:
Look forward to more.. I don't want to be a Loser.
Post by: Grundislav on 09 Jun 2012, 16:38
Oh, and if there's any chance to see some rotoscope-outtakes... I bet there's an audience waiting for it :D
I make sure to delete them as soon as I'm finished filming them. NO ONE MUST EVER KNOW!
Post by: Ponch on 09 Jun 2012, 17:19
Oh, and if there's any chance to see some rotoscope-outtakes... I bet there's an audience waiting for it :D
I make sure to delete them as soon as I'm finished filming them. NO ONE MUST EVER KNOW!
When I filmed Kim and her friend as references for the sexy dance party in Forever Friday 2, I made sure to never delete the files. :wink:
Also, hooray new podcast! \o/
Post by: Frito Master on 10 Jun 2012, 19:00
I really enjoyed it, I'd go with a quieter more subtle music or at least tone down the volume.(Gotta Love the rayman music.)
Good tips on animation and some general info about a few things. You guys complement eachother, so good synergy between you two.
The part about watching your self for doing animations is how I've been doing and haha I always wondered if someone saw me.
Hugo house of horrors and the others were pretty awesome to me when I was a kid. I got stuck in that damn cage in number 3.
Anyways thought it was awesome you should do one a week or two and add in more stuff about whats going on in the community or have like a game pick of the week/month made in ags to play.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 11 Jun 2012, 00:13
As for frequency we haven't really decided on one yet, although it'd be pretty awesome to do one on a regular basis. Eventually we're bound to run out of informative things to say and it will end up being 45 minutes of us doing stupid segments in stupid voices, because that's easily our favourite thing to do!
Thanks to everyone for the feedback, nice catch on the Rayman Origins music Frito Master, and thanks Khris for the HHH vid. That's brilliant! :cheesy:
Post by: Ponch on 11 Jun 2012, 00:20
Post by: Vince Twelve on 11 Jun 2012, 02:31
Edit: I love The Dig. I haven't played it for probably ten years because it will almost certainly ruin it for me.
Post by: Ponch on 11 Jun 2012, 06:08
I offer myself up to be a guest at some point! I AM FASCINATING!
Cool. Airwave 2 AND the return of Twelve Interviews. 2012 is shaping up to be an awesome year. :=
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 11 Jun 2012, 10:30
Also, wow, we've already got special guests and behind the scenes episodes being planned for us. We were kinda thinking we'd just do a 2 serious episodes and then from that point just turn it into an audio periodical in which we make strange noises for 40 minutes and then rant in hillbilly voices for 57 seconds at the end.
Which, you must admit, would also be pretty darn good!
Post by: Frito Master on 12 Jun 2012, 09:01
Sounds good, Looking forward to the next one.
Post by: Ponch on 12 Jun 2012, 17:18
audio periodical
This makes it sound so classy, like I should put on a smoking jacket and have the dog fetch my slippers while I sit in my favorite lounge chair by the fireplace to listen to it. (nod)
(http://www.barnrunner.com/pics/misc/hughheifer.gif)
Post by: veryweirdguy on 12 Jun 2012, 19:45
I have pinned a piece of paper to the BlueCupTools corkboard saying "veryweirdguy is our #1 fan" in anticipation of your approval :D
I listened, so laminate it.
Post by: Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens on 13 Jun 2012, 15:26
Quote
I mean just as a simple example Ctrl+Z, which is Undo in every Windows program I know, in PM it's not.
I love the interface for Pro Motion, it's slick and to the point. And apparently you didn't know (so I'm educating you) that you can remap every control to a key of your choice via the preferences.
Post by: Anian on 13 Jun 2012, 19:15
Yeah, somebody mentioned it before, I tried an older version, apparently I checked the manuals and they changed it.QuoteI mean just as a simple example Ctrl+Z, which is Undo in every Windows program I know, in PM it's not.
I love the interface for Pro Motion, it's slick and to the point. And apparently you didn't know (so I'm educating you) that you can remap every control to a key of your choice via the preferences.
The key shortcut was just an example, I just couldn't get used to it for some reason, that's the major reason I hated Blender for a long time as well.
Post by: Frito Master on 14 Jun 2012, 00:28
Post by: Ilyich on 15 Jun 2012, 00:03
Also - rotoscoping is the best. I think He-Man proved that. :-D
Post by: Grundislav on 15 Jun 2012, 21:35
Get it here! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_02.mp3)
Post by: Ryan Timothy B on 15 Jun 2012, 22:44
Post by: Mati256 on 16 Jun 2012, 00:20
Post by: Anian on 16 Jun 2012, 00:22
I'm loving the ending 4 minutes. Very engrossing.Indeed, making suggestions and questions is mentioned like ten times in the episode and then there's the ending produced by a comment from the first episode. :grin: There is a warning before it so I guess it's ok.
But, yeah, interesting, just the right timing as well, I wanted to listen to something before going to sleep.
Post by: Eggie on 16 Jun 2012, 00:24
Can't wait to listen on my walk to work.
Post by: Ponch on 16 Jun 2012, 07:08
UPDATE: They read my letter, mockingly. I'm somebody now! :cheesy:
(Although I was a bit disappointed that you failed to refer to me as "The Iron Man of AGS").
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 16 Jun 2012, 10:42
Don't forget you can tell us anything you'd like us to cover, or any other suggestions. We have plenty we'd like to talk about, but more ideas is always good.
(Although I was a bit disappointed that you failed to refer to me as "The Iron Man of AGS").
You could always write in a letter of complaint that you weren't referred to as this so that I can read it out on the air again for everyone to listen to and take note of...
Post by: budgerigar on 16 Jun 2012, 17:32
How to submit a podcast to the iTunes Store (http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1819)
*walks away nonchalantly*
Post by: Grundislav on 16 Jun 2012, 19:27
Blue Cup Tools RSS (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/bct.xml)
Post by: Frito Master on 19 Jun 2012, 04:47
Sweet biscuits! Another episode? Why, this is what you might call an ongoing concern. :shocked:
UPDATE: They read my letter, mockingly. I'm somebody now! :cheesy:
(Although I was a bit disappointed that you failed to refer to me as "The Iron Man of AGS").
You even got your own podcast ending :O which I learned alot from.
Edit: Also another interesting podcast guys. No complaints.
Also I hate when I mark on the wrong layer.
Post by: Jonathan Wedge on 19 Jun 2012, 18:12
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 19 Jun 2012, 18:13
Post by: Jonathan Wedge on 19 Jun 2012, 18:20
Post by: Ryan Timothy B on 19 Jun 2012, 18:21
Do it! I demand this. My foot is firmly down.
So... Are you done yet? Where's the interview already? Waiting... >:(
Post by: Jonathan Wedge on 19 Jun 2012, 18:33
Post by: an Urpney on 19 Jun 2012, 19:32
Post by: Ponch on 19 Jun 2012, 19:35
Post by: Frito Master on 19 Jun 2012, 19:41
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 19 Jun 2012, 19:45
Post by: Frito Master on 19 Jun 2012, 19:57
Post by: Mati256 on 19 Jun 2012, 20:04
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 19 Jun 2012, 20:07
Post by: veryweirdguy on 19 Jun 2012, 20:18
Post by: Chicky on 20 Jun 2012, 00:06
Post by: Ponch on 20 Jun 2012, 03:44
Brilliant! I'm here animating as Ben's talking tween frames. Massively motivational, great work.
After listening to them mock me for drawing everything by hand, I was actually motivated enough to break out my tablet and use it for my MAGS game. Clearly, this podcast is the best thing to happen to AGS ever (except for Oceanspirit Dennis, of course). One listen and we're all better people for it! ;-D
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 20 Jun 2012, 04:07
Chicken: We're total animation bros/colleagues/comrades now :D
Ponch: Man, I feel so influential now! Everybody wear silly hats!
Post by: Ponch on 20 Jun 2012, 04:32
Man, I feel so influential now! Everybody wear silly hats!
Done and done!
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 20 Jun 2012, 04:46
Post by: Grundislav on 20 Jun 2012, 04:54
Here is more! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_03.mp3)
Post by: Ponch on 20 Jun 2012, 05:03
You want more?
Here is more! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_03.mp3)
Hooray! Time to put on my "special occasions hat". (http://www.barnrunner.com/OSD/Roger-Dennis-Wink.gif)
http://www.barnrunner.com/OSD/OSD_Hat.png
It's not every hat that has a smiley face skull, you know.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 20 Jun 2012, 05:07
Just for clarification, the early release of this episode is due to our switching to a midweek release schedule from now on, which suits us more!
Post by: Ponch on 20 Jun 2012, 06:13
Also, perfect dog-walking length. Thanks for that. But no Vince XII interview? I was so looking forward to it. I've heard from a very reliable source that he is FASCINATING. 8-)
Post by: TomatoesInTheHead on 20 Jun 2012, 09:27
You want more?Thank God you chose a release frequency similar to Ben's games and not to yours :=
Here is more! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_03.mp3)
Post by: stepsoversnails on 20 Jun 2012, 12:18
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 20 Jun 2012, 12:58
TomatoesInTheHead: Grundislav does release games more regularly and consistently than pretty much anybody, you do realize? :D
stepsoversnails: We tried but Grundi's server doesn't support it, sadly :(
Post by: Ponch on 20 Jun 2012, 16:59
Glad we got the length spot on this time!
Actually, it was about a minute and a half too long. I'll trust you'll remedy this in future installments. :wink:
Post by: Chicky on 20 Jun 2012, 18:43
^ This is how i roleplay.
Post by: Ascovel on 21 Jun 2012, 16:47
Post by: straydogstrut on 23 Jun 2012, 16:59
On a side note, I haven't seriously played Abe's Odyssee but I loved Exoddus so I am shocked that they want to start doing remakes. I don't see the point since they're on the Playstation Store anyway. I agree with the sentiment about doing remakes so that games can be played on modern platforms. I wouldn't have thought the original Tombraider needed a remake but they made a good job of Anniversary.
Post by: Frito Master on 24 Jun 2012, 01:27
Post by: Grundislav on 24 Jun 2012, 02:08
Post by: Frito Master on 24 Jun 2012, 03:36
You have a good taste in podcast noises!
Post by: veryweirdguy on 27 Jun 2012, 01:41
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 27 Jun 2012, 02:10
Post by: veryweirdguy on 27 Jun 2012, 11:15
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 27 Jun 2012, 12:52
/me taps foot patiently waiting for this film/series.
Post by: Ascovel on 27 Jun 2012, 13:46
Well Wednesday is a character in the Addams Family so all we need to see is a new Addams Family series/film and we will totally release #4.
Did you see that one with Tim Curry? You might lose interest in ever seeing another Addams Family film after witnessing it.
Post by: Anian on 27 Jun 2012, 14:56
Did you see that one with Tim Curry? You might lose interest in ever seeing another Addams Family film after witnessing it.Well it was the last one, plus it's far from the worst thing Addams related.
Also Dr. Frank-N-Furter/Gabriel Knight etc. man should not be put down. :undecided:
Post by: Grundislav on 27 Jun 2012, 18:08
Post by: Ponch on 28 Jun 2012, 03:16
Or you could interview Pixel Hunt. That would be four (five?) people ranting at once. My ear buds would explode from the awesomeness. :cheesy:
And what of Space Man (In Space)? What will happen to our hero? I'm all a'tingle for the next exciting installment! And dare I hope there will be an AGS game tie-in with this dramatic serial? :wink:
Post by: Frito Master on 28 Jun 2012, 04:47
Post by: Tramponline on 28 Jun 2012, 12:05
Hillarious interview and great seance(!) guys!
But why was everyone so quite, when Vince
announced he was going to make an "Ego-shooter"? - I was rolling on the floor laughing!!
By the way, Vince, that's the first interview that I heard of you, where you weren't
using as many 'umms', what's up with that?
I thought that was going to be your quirky trademark as all powerful
big-time game designer!? :P
But seriously, great, great interview all three of you!
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 28 Jun 2012, 12:23
As for a Spaceman in Space game, the idea is to explore the thrilling medium of adventure through the non-interactive linear audio only format. Making a game of it might ruin the artistic credibility of the project, I am afraid.
I wasn't laughing when Vince said he would make an FPS because it is something I support and would actually play. I love Vince's games and I love many FPS games - perfect combination. If he was joking... well, put me down as "heartbroken".
As for the lack of ums, it was probably our superior interviewing skills that made him more comfortable chatting than all of those other lame interviewers! That, or he was focused on being as interesting as possible to try and make us forget about getting him to do a Deliver-rant (which clearly failed miserably - mostly because Deliver-rants is our #1 favourite part of doing the show).
Thanks for listening, guys! :cheesy:
Post by: Anian on 28 Jun 2012, 12:40
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 28 Jun 2012, 12:44
Post by: Vince Twelve on 28 Jun 2012, 14:50
I don't know why I didn't ummm so much. Maybe because I was laughing so much. Out of all the podcasts I've done over the last couple weeks, this one is the only one that makes zero attempt to be professional, which makes it hilarious and easy going.
Anian's right, I could have given some tips! I AM FASCINATING AND INFORMATIVE! Here's two for you, Anian:
Coding: repeatedly_execute_always is your friend for making crazy stuff. Don't worry about it slowing down the game. Resonance has thousands of lines of code jammed in there!
Art: Particle Illusion 3.0 (Available here (http://www.wondertouch.com/index_2.asp)) Was used to make almost all the special effect graphics in the game. Fire, smoke, birds flying, sparks, explosions. It's awesome, and I figured out a pretty good pipeline for using it in conjunction with AGS.
Writing: Do it in the shower! But not on your computer, that's dangerous. Use your noodle! Not that one!
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 28 Jun 2012, 14:57
As for using my noodle in the shower, good advice, thank you!
With regards to Particle Illusion, any tutorials you could recommend for our listeners?
(it's like we're podcasting via text and typing!)
Post by: DoorKnobHandle on 28 Jun 2012, 15:04
Great podcast, as always!
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 28 Jun 2012, 15:08
Most of the time I comment this out of my games before they're released though (which totally ruins the game, imo, but the testers don't seem to like it :\ )
Post by: Vince Twelve on 28 Jun 2012, 17:10
Post by: Ascovel on 28 Jun 2012, 20:02
Post by: Tramponline on 29 Jun 2012, 07:40
I don't know why I didn't ummm so much. Maybe because I was laughing so much. Out of all the podcasts I've done over the last couple weeks, this one is the only one that makes zero attempt to be professional, which makes it hilarious and easy going.
@Vince
Sorry about that. I should've added waaaay more smileys to my last post. (unlike Tabata, I really don't like smileys! :P <- :shocked:)
I hope, I didn't come across the wrong way or tick you off or something along those lines!
When I posted after listening to the podcast, it was very much 'infected by that enthusiasm' (Ascovel put it very nicely) of you guys
having fun and in the overall spirit of the interview.
It was intended as -12% criticism and as 150% pure nonsense (...of the Dualnames variety!) and didn't deserve any explanation about your
'umms' or not 'umms' in interviews :smiley:, much less a reasoned one (personally, I'd be a nervous wreck not being able to say anything at all!).
All I really wanted to say was, great podcast of everyone involved and you can't help but smile all the way through while listening to it...
Post by: Anian on 29 Jun 2012, 10:41
Anian's right, I could have given some tips! I AM FASCINATING AND INFORMATIVE! Here's two for you, Anian:Too little too late, if it's not in the podcast, I ain't acknowledging it. :tongue: :grin:
Post by: Vince Twelve on 29 Jun 2012, 17:44
Sorry about that. I should've added waaaay more smileys to my last post. (unlike Tabata, I really don't like smileys! :P <- :shocked:)
I hope, I didn't come across the wrong way or tick you off or something along those lines!
Oh, god no. I've joked about how often I ummm and uhhh in interviews many times. Maybe it is I who needs more smileys. :)
Post by: Frito Master on 29 Jun 2012, 22:55
I found a few threads you did about user interfaces and such. You should really write up some more stuff about AGS/adventure games, I really enjoyed the stuff you wrote and considering your current/past games you obviously know what your doing.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 04 Jul 2012, 08:13
Post by: Armageddon on 04 Jul 2012, 09:35
Post by: Anian on 04 Jul 2012, 11:00
While on the subject, there's a really cool speech about creativity from John Cleese https://vimeo.com/18913413 it offers some hints at the stuff you mentioned as well and tips on how to be creative in a practical way, achieving what he refers to an "open mode" and then getting back into "closed mode" to be productive. Not only informative but funny too.
Post by: Frito Master on 04 Jul 2012, 11:22
Edit: I like thinking about ideas right before I go to sleep but sometimes I get to tried and fall asleep haha.
I haven't tried the music thing but I do it while I'm drawing.
Post by: Ascovel on 04 Jul 2012, 11:24
I usually get the best concepts while jogging.
Thanks for the Cleese link, anian!
Post by: Ponch on 04 Jul 2012, 15:49
I hope there will be more Spaceman (In Space)
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 04 Jul 2012, 15:55
As for more of our thrilling episodic audio drama?
Of course there is :cool:
Post by: Ponch on 04 Jul 2012, 20:14
Also, hooray for another episode of Space Man (In Space). I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for an official AGS game tie-in. Or at least a novelization. If one doesn't appear soon, there may be a fan game. Just sayin' :cool:
Post by: Mati256 on 04 Jul 2012, 23:37
I was hoping space man would find a future self in the space ship. (laugh)
Great episode, keep them coming!
Post by: Vince Twelve on 05 Jul 2012, 21:56
Post by: Ascovel on 06 Jul 2012, 01:58
For example I feel Yahtzee's popular use-key-on-door metaphor for adventure game puzzles doesn't really say anything about them. It's too general and feels grumpy (not another locked door posing as something else!). But it actually perfectly describes any single-step problem solving. Untangling the Gordian knot or finding a missing sock doesn't have to be any less use-key-on-door.
Post by: DoorKnobHandle on 06 Jul 2012, 02:23
Post by: Ponch on 06 Jul 2012, 03:15
There's a lot cooler puzzle designs that aren't just USE X ON Y.
But those are the only puzzles I know how to make. :~( ;)
Post by: Armageddon on 06 Jul 2012, 04:03
Post by: Ponch on 06 Jul 2012, 04:10
Post by: Frito Master on 06 Jul 2012, 04:50
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 11 Jul 2012, 05:43
BlueCupTools™ Podcast! (Episode 6, in which we discuss boss battles, review Killzone 2 and Rayman Origins and add more silliness than ever!) (http://t.co/hh19ImQV)
Post by: Frito Master on 11 Jul 2012, 05:45
Oh my gosh! It's Wednesday! That means that it's time for another:
Bluecuptools Podcast! (Episode 6, in which we discuss boss battles, review Killzone 2 and Rayman Origins and add more silliness than ever!) (http://t.co/hh19ImQV)
B-B-But its only been Wednesday for 45mins.
Edit:
Quote
That's how ruthlessly efficient the BlueCupTools™ team is.
Guess I'll have to listen to it!
Damn, and I was just getting ready for bed too! Sigh. Well, time to go wake up the dog and go for a walk. :)
That made me laugh in real life.
Grundislav you need to go play metal slug! For me its the most beautiful pixel graphic game!
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 11 Jul 2012, 05:46
Post by: Ponch on 11 Jul 2012, 05:47
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 11 Jul 2012, 05:59
I also endorse Frito Master's recommendation of Metal Slug. It ranks with the first two Simon the Sorcerer games as having the some of the most amazing pixel work.
Post by: Frito Master on 11 Jul 2012, 06:47
I have to say the best boss battle for me was "The End" in metal gear solid 3. (Thinking about it almost all my favorites are from that series.)
I played some of arcanum I thought it was pretty awesome, I'm playing divine divinity atm.
Edit: Ok I finished it, Haha the rayman origins part had me laughing hard. Thats exactly what happen while I was playing it on my vita.
Post by: Ponch on 11 Jul 2012, 06:49
Hopefully by morning this deep melancholy will have passed.
Oh wait! They mentioned the OSD website! Ah! I feel better already! :cheesy:
Update: My dog says he loves Deliver-rants because he loves hillbillys and he's easily excited by banjo music. Or maybe I only imagined he said that. I can't be sure. Moments ago, I discovered in the birthday thread that Baron has psychic powers and so the universe no longer makes sense the way it once did.
Post by: Armageddon on 11 Jul 2012, 06:55
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 11 Jul 2012, 07:24
Beyond Good and Evil is a favourite of both mine and Grundislav's - we've both finished it twice (and I basically *never* play through games a second time, which shows how much I loved it).
Post by: Anian on 11 Jul 2012, 13:46
I listened to it through lunch, it's funny how you guys keep giggling like little girls still. :grin:
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 11 Jul 2012, 13:48
Just a minor detail I thought you should all be aware of. :cheesy:
Post by: Vince Twelve on 11 Jul 2012, 18:21
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 12 Jul 2012, 07:01
Post by: Anian on 18 Jul 2012, 15:02
Post by: Ponch on 18 Jul 2012, 15:48
R.I.P. Two Tools, Once Cup podcast. We barely knew ye. :=
(Seriously, where's the new episode? The dog gets fidgety if he doesn't get a good walk in before dinner :wink: ).
Post by: DoorKnobHandle on 18 Jul 2012, 17:39
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 18 Jul 2012, 18:12
I have been sick, but we still managed to do a podcast on Sunday (although I have no idea if I was even slightly comprehensible with the state this fever has had me in). I haven't spoken to Grundislav since, though, since we've both been working and our timezones are exactly opposite each other, but I'm sure he'll upload it soon (unless I've forgotten to send him something ???)
Cheers!
Post by: Ponch on 18 Jul 2012, 18:19
Ben's been sick you monsters! MONSTERS!!
Has it occurred to you that maybe Ben304 doesn't want you advertising the fact that he picked up syphilis from a particularly sexy (and shockingly easy) young lady-sheep? Has it occurred to you that Ben304's vast and interesting collection of various STDs and how they impact podcast schedules are a private matter not meant to be discussed on these forums? Can't you please respect his privacy during this difficult time?
I'm disappointed in you, dkh. Anian and I were able to politely ignore Ben's recurring battles with gonorrhea and his latest stubborn outbreak of pubic lice. But you? Oh, you just had to stick your nose in his business and air his dirty (sexy) laundry, didn't you? For shame!
Goodness, this is worse than when he got genital warts from a randy wombat and accidentally deleted Airwave 2 while in the grips of a warty fever.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 18 Jul 2012, 18:33
Post by: Ponch on 18 Jul 2012, 18:37
Post by: Grundislav on 18 Jul 2012, 19:26
Post by: Ponch on 18 Jul 2012, 19:52
Post by: Grundislav on 20 Jul 2012, 03:48
Episode 7 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_07.mp3)
(This also happens to be the longest episode yet!)
Post by: Ponch on 20 Jul 2012, 03:54
Also, hooray for a new podcast! I was just about to take the dog out for a walk. Looks like he's in luck tonight as I won't have to again regale him with my own retelling of your previous podcasts. (He much prefers the original Spaceman (In Space) to my poor version -- I think my Spaceman sounds a bit too knowing to his finely tuned ears. Winking at the audience, if you will. My dog does not care for even subtle camp in his dramatic readings).
- Ponch
* Ben tells me that Down Under they're called Rice Bubbles. Damn, Australia is a strange place.
Post by: Anian on 20 Jul 2012, 09:53
* Ben tells me that Down Under they're called Rice Bubbles. Damn, Australia is a strange place.Said the lactating 4 nippled human male. :tongue:
Post by: Ascovel on 20 Jul 2012, 20:26
There were a few things that you said that I'm outraged about of course. For example, the voodoo messages puzzles in Gabriel Knight are some of my favorites (of all time!).
As for introductions... Eye of Geltz does perhaps alienate a bit at the start, because of throwing you into that huge place. But on the other hand there's something profoundly artificial about always giving the player gradual introductions. I'm not sure it would even fit with Eye of Geltz's game world structure to do it this way.
Said the lactating 4 nippled human male. :tongue:
Ponch is male!? :shocked:
Post by: Frito Master on 20 Jul 2012, 23:23
Post by: Ponch on 21 Jul 2012, 01:49
Ponch is male!? :shocked:
Damn right I am, baby. Just because I'm a cow doesn't mean I'm some sort of girly cow. :=
Post by: Armageddon on 21 Jul 2012, 01:52
Nice episode.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 24 Jul 2012, 13:56
We'll be back with a vengeance as soon as work quietens down a bit, though!
Post by: Ascovel on 24 Jul 2012, 14:13
Post by: Ponch on 24 Jul 2012, 16:09
I'm currently having to work weekends
Ah, "having to work weekends." I got ya. No need to explain. I've used that excuse myself from time to time. (I hope your latest bout of
Post by: Andail on 24 Jul 2012, 16:35
Post by: Ponch on 26 Jul 2012, 03:09
Ben's addiction to working outdoors and being healthy shouldn't hinder my addiction to hiding indoors where Ryan Timothy can't find me and listening to podcasts! My dog and I don't get along as well as we did before when we go out walking. I think the Two Tools, One Cup podcast may be all that's keeping us from drifting apart entirely! I need Spaceman (In Space) and my dog needs DeliverRants!! Help, Grundy! :embarrassed:
Post by: selmiak on 26 Jul 2012, 22:40
Post by: Armageddon on 26 Jul 2012, 22:44
Post by: Ascovel on 26 Jul 2012, 23:26
Post by: Ponch on 27 Jul 2012, 03:36
I want Ben304 hosting or no one at all!
Not even Grundy?!? 8-0
And for the record, my dog has already heard all my theories about drawing chicks. He would find me dull and uninspired as a guest host.
I guess the only solution is to wait for Ben304 to return to his senses and start taking Saturdays off again. 8-)
Post by: Stupot on 27 Jul 2012, 14:14
Post by: Ascovel on 27 Jul 2012, 14:26
Not even Grundy?!? 8-0
Grundy and Ben both of course - unbelievable chemistry!
I'm just saying "no" to someone replacing Ben in this particular podcast, even temporarily. But some completely different - competing - "blue cup" podcasts would be most welcome (potentially awesome).
Gabriel Knight is on GOG.com, so it works fine without DOSbox if you get it from there.
Not sure about Gabriel Knight specifically, but GOG.com uses DOSbox to run most of its DOS-based oldies. Even for something like Duke Nukem 3D, which makes it crawl on 6 year old systems.
Post by: Ponch on 27 Jul 2012, 16:27
I'm just saying "no" to someone replacing Ben in this particular podcast, even temporarily.
That's cool. But does anyone know how long this drought will last? Really, Ben! I didn't expect such shocking behavior from you. Working hard to pay the bills, keep a roof over your head, and put food on the table? Instead of making a free podcast?! What a questionable decision! I just don't get you kids today at all! (wrong) ;)
Post by: Stupot on 27 Jul 2012, 16:32
Post by: DoorKnobHandle on 27 Jul 2012, 16:39
(http://i.imgur.com/bSpnP.png)
Post by: Ponch on 27 Jul 2012, 16:48
Ben has ditched us all, the community and the podcast, under false pretenses.
Curse you, Ben304! :~( Y U No free podcast?! Y U leave us? Y U No return our loves 4 U?
Post by: Chicky on 13 Aug 2012, 14:37
Post by: Grundislav on 13 Aug 2012, 15:12
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 13 Aug 2012, 15:25
Post by: Ryan Timothy B on 13 Aug 2012, 19:34
Enjoyable podcast.
Post by: Anian on 13 Aug 2012, 19:42
So that'll be 2 British pounds thanks Chicken and they better be great! :DDamn, you entice with free samples, then start to charge? Like a cheetah on Serengeti...or something. For shame. :-D
Hey, when you guys were talking about Assassins Creed 3, you had the music playing from Psychonauts, right? From that creepy guy's brain who believed everything was a conspiracy with all the agents wandering about stopping you.You mean this:
Enjoyable podcast.
?
Post by: Mati256 on 14 Aug 2012, 00:07
Post by: Grundislav on 14 Aug 2012, 00:31
We'll be back to normal posting schedule and content next week!
Post by: Ponch on 14 Aug 2012, 03:48
EDIT (48 minutes later): Alas! My tingling was for naught. :embarrassed: Still, all in all, a fine podcast. Looking forward to the next one.
Post by: SSH on 14 Aug 2012, 17:15
Post by: veryweirdguy on 14 Aug 2012, 17:20
Post by: Xionix on 15 Aug 2012, 14:15
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 15 Aug 2012, 14:20
VWG: <3
Xionix: There are 8 podcasts available! Also, the intro song is "Semi Charmed Life" by Third Eye Blind.
Post by: Ponch on 15 Aug 2012, 15:27
Ponch: Sadly, Spaceman in Space was concluded in Episode 7.
What?! This is shocking news! 8-0
I need to lie down for a while until I come to terms with this. :~(
Post by: Xionix on 17 Aug 2012, 19:37
Post by: selmiak on 18 Sep 2012, 13:15
oh, and this seems to be the perfect place to point at the missing picks of the month... ;)
Post by: Chicky on 19 Sep 2012, 00:39
Post by: Ponch on 19 Sep 2012, 06:17
Post by: Ponch on 20 Oct 2012, 01:59
Post by: Chicky on 21 Oct 2012, 23:27
I digress, Bendislav, could you at least hum jaunty tunes for twenty minutes?
Post by: selmiak on 23 Oct 2012, 18:13
Post by: Ponch on 24 Oct 2012, 03:03
I gotta have more podcast!
Post by: Grundislav on 29 Oct 2012, 13:37
A new episode! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_09.mp3)
Post by: Ponch on 29 Oct 2012, 14:12
UPDATE: Special Birthday Edition!
:-D :-D :-D :-D :-D
Post by: gameboy on 29 Oct 2012, 17:49
also: happy Ponch day!
Post by: Vince Twelve on 29 Oct 2012, 18:39
And wow, so I'm like live blogging this here: You're still talking about me? I can neither confirm nor deny any rumors about Felicia Day licking my bald head.
Post by: Ilyich on 29 Oct 2012, 19:59
Actually, scratch that bit about the dodge tool - there's not enough hate in the world. :cheesy:
Looking forward to the next podcast!
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 29 Oct 2012, 21:55
Quote from: Mr. 12
I have some splainin' to do! I actually picked the name when a ghost named Señor Morales visited me in my sleep.
OOOooooOOoooOOooOoOo 8-0
Actually, scratch that bit about the dodge tool - there's not enough hate in the world. :cheesy:
Amen! :cheesy:
Post by: Chicky on 29 Oct 2012, 22:57
Post by: Baron on 30 Oct 2012, 00:51
Post by: Ponch on 30 Oct 2012, 02:01
You haven't done [mock-advertisements], but you should.
Ooh! You could plug the Barn Runner series. Going strong since 2003. ("Now even longer lasting than Ben Jordan!")
It's not so much mock-advertising as it is free advertising, but I think it's just the thing
Post by: Armageddon on 30 Oct 2012, 02:28
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 30 Oct 2012, 12:02
Post by: Ponch on 30 Oct 2012, 15:02
Post by: selmiak on 30 Oct 2012, 17:08
Post by: Xionix on 02 Nov 2012, 17:15
Post by: Ponch on 02 Nov 2012, 17:17
Glad we got a cow to fight for our podcast rights.
Darn tootin' :smiley:
Post by: tzachs on 03 Nov 2012, 08:29
Definitely gonna kill a Morales in my next adventure game.. Eventually he will end up like Kenny..
Post by: Disco on 12 Nov 2012, 23:31
Definitely gonna kill a Morales in my next adventure game.. Eventually he will end up like Kenny..
No Grazie!
Post by: Grundislav on 31 Dec 2012, 04:08
Well fear not!
Ok, so there's no new episode, but something is better than nothing, right?
Here, we present a snippet of a conversation that was specially recorded and never found a place in a podcast because we never got around to recording one afterwards. Think of it as a 15 minute special.
Grundislav Goes to a Midnight Release (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_special.mp3)
Post by: Ponch on 31 Dec 2012, 04:26
Are you sad because it's almost 2013 and you haven't gotten your BlueCup Tools Podcast fix in months?Why, it's like you're right inside my head! :cheesy:
Quote
Well fear not!I'll try. But this long without a podcast has left me psychologically scarred and unable to trust or form meaningful relationships with people. :undecided:
Quote
Ok, so there's no new episode, but something is better than nothing, right?I'm a bit unclear. Is this reason to go on living or not? I need guidance in this matter. :confused:
Quote
Think of it as a 15 minute special.Hmmm... This might be just the small scrap of hope I need to face another year in this cold, uncaring, podcastless world. We'll see... :sealed:
Post by: Anian on 31 Dec 2012, 10:29
Here, we present a snippet of a conversation that was specially recorded and never found a place in a podcast because we never got around to recording one afterwards. Think of it as a 15 minute special.So what I gather from this is that this is a Midnight Special. *parum-pum*
Grundislav Goes to a Midnight Release (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_special.mp3)
Post by: Xionix on 01 Jan 2013, 08:31
Post by: Grundislav on 13 Jan 2013, 18:31
Post by: Ponch on 13 Jan 2013, 21:01
| Hooray |
|___ ___|
|/
\:cheesy:/
Post by: Chicky on 13 Jan 2013, 21:33
Post by: selmiak on 13 Jan 2013, 22:35
Quote
People know how to make games. They don't need our help(roll) :grin:
Post by: Xionix on 13 Jan 2013, 23:55
Post by: DoorKnobHandle on 14 Jan 2013, 00:00
For what it's worth, either format is fine to me. Maybe mixing it up like you've been doing is the best way to go.
Post by: Armageddon on 14 Jan 2013, 00:28
Post by: Baron on 14 Jan 2013, 04:42
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 14 Jan 2013, 09:30
Glad you guys are still enjoying the podcasts. Peter Gabriel bless your souls! :kiss:
Post by: Baron on 14 Jan 2013, 23:45
Hourgames would probably be better presented in video, I think.
I think Francisco's oral description of which sprite looks like a blob and which sprite looks like a blob with a butt would suffice for my tastes, but then that's just me.... ;)
Post by: Vince Twelve on 15 Jan 2013, 22:45
Post by: Grundislav on 15 Jan 2013, 23:22
Post by: Armageddon on 16 Feb 2013, 05:44
Post by: Grundislav on 25 Apr 2013, 06:21
Here (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_mini.mp3) is a special mini-podcast recorded on location in Walpole, Western Australia!
Post by: Armageddon on 25 Apr 2013, 06:28
Well that was disappointingly short...
Post by: Vince Twelve on 25 Apr 2013, 14:21
Post by: Shane 'ProgZmax' Stevens on 26 Apr 2013, 01:24
Watch out for all the poisonous critters!
Post by: Armageddon on 26 Apr 2013, 02:22
Post by: Ponch on 29 Apr 2013, 22:04
Post by: Grundislav on 30 Apr 2013, 01:52
Post by: frenzykitty on 15 May 2013, 15:09
Post by: Grundislav on 29 Jun 2013, 20:54
YES! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_11.mp3)
Post by: Chicky on 29 Jun 2013, 23:28
You guys rock, these podcasts are the perfect inspiration for game making. For that i thank yee!
Post by: Armageddon on 30 Jun 2013, 04:21
Post by: Ponch on 30 Jun 2013, 18:20
Post by: Ascovel on 30 Jun 2013, 19:25
EDIT: These podcasts are such a great thing to listen to when I'm feeling down or find myself in a desperate situation where I need to quickly re-awaken my enthusiasm for game making.
Post by: Andail on 30 Jun 2013, 22:24
Your voices are eerily similar, if it weren't for the accents.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 01 Jul 2013, 00:44
Andail: It's because we're clones both taken from the same primary source, then modified physically to make sure nobody gets suspicious :=
Also, I sat in on a guest spot on the DOS Nostalgia Podcast (http://www.dosnostalgia.com/?p=268) with Anatoly Shaskin and we both talk about the mighty Build Engine by Ken Silverman and get extremely excited about DOS games for 2 hours. :D
Post by: Scarab on 05 Jul 2013, 12:27
You guys rock, these podcasts are the perfect inspiration for game making. For that i thank yee!
Agreed. Never fails to make me dust off the old game ideas notebook on my desk. :-D
Post by: oraxon on 09 Jul 2013, 22:04
Post by: Grundislav on 13 Jul 2013, 04:40
Wow, are we actually doing these regularly again?
THANKS, BRAN!
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 13 Jul 2013, 04:53
Post by: Calin Leafshade on 13 Jul 2013, 04:55
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 13 Jul 2013, 04:57
and then enter it in m
Post by: Armageddon on 13 Jul 2013, 05:19
Post by: Ilyich on 13 Jul 2013, 15:21
Post by: Vince Twelve on 14 Jul 2013, 15:20
I fell asleep last night listening to the podcast and had visions of Ben304s and Grudislavs dancing in my head.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 14 Jul 2013, 15:37
Post by: Ponch on 14 Jul 2013, 23:57
I fell asleep last night listening to the podcast and had visions of Ben304s and Grudislavs dancing in my head.Oh, that was going to happen anyway. :wink:
Thanks for the new cupcast, guys. Enjoyable as always -- and much sooner than expected! I want (nay! demand!) to see pictures of the cork board. :=
Post by: selmiak on 15 Jul 2013, 12:26
sleep
great episode :-D
have you done an episode already about getting ideas and where you are
and what kind of subtances from coffee to cocain do you use to keep you motivated and what was your worst result of drunken coding? And the best too of course...
and I'd like to know more about these revolutionary gameideas where you feel like the king of the world when you have'em :)
Post by: WalkThruWalls on 17 Jul 2013, 04:56
Now to listen to the rest of them!
Post by: Grundislav on 17 Jul 2013, 05:23
Post by: Armageddon on 17 Jul 2013, 05:30
Post by: Grundislav on 17 Jul 2013, 05:31
Post by: Armageddon on 17 Jul 2013, 05:31
Post by: Grundislav on 17 Jul 2013, 05:34
Here you go! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_13.mp3)
In this special episode, "Top Scores," we each talk about and play some of our favorite tracks from video games!
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 18 Jul 2013, 05:12
¡ʎoظuÇ Â¡Ê‡Ä± buıop oʇ punoÉ¹É Ê‡Çb ʎןןÉuıɟ oʇ ןooÉ” s,ʇı os - ÉıןÉɹʇsnÉ oʇ ÇɯÉÉ” ÊŽpunɹb ÇɹoÉŸÇq ÉÇpı Çɥʇ pÉÉ¥ ı - sÇbÉ É¹oÉŸ ɹÇɥʇÇboʇ ʇnd oʇ pÇʇuÉÊ ÇÊŒ,ÇÊ Çuo sı ÇposıdÇ ÊÇu sıɥʇ
¡ןÇnbÇs Çɥʇ ʇnoqÉ É¹ÉÇÉ¥ oʇ pÇʇıɔxÇ puÉ - ÇɯosÇÊÉ :sןןÉÊnɹɥʇʞןÉÊ
˙ʇuıod Çɯos Ê‡É Çɹoɯ ʇı ɹÇÊŒoÉ” oʇ ÇÊŒÉÉ¥ ןן,ÇÊ Ë™ÊŽ×ŸÇʇÇןdɯoÉ” ʇou ʇnq - ÉŸo ʇɹos :ÊžÉıɯןÇs
Post by: Ponch on 18 Jul 2013, 05:17
˙˙˙ʎʞɔnןun sı ʎןןÉÇɹ ɹÇqɯnu 31 sıɥʇ ¡buÄ±Ê‡Ä±É¹Ê ÊŽÉ¯ Ê‡É Êžooן 'ʇıɥs ʎןoɥ˙˙˙Damn it! I'm getting dizzy!
¡ʎoظuÇ Â¡Ê‡Ä± buıop oʇ punoÉ¹É Ê‡Çb ʎןןÉuıɟ oʇ ןooÉ” s,ʇı os - ÉıןÉɹʇsnÉ oʇ ÇɯÉÉ” ÊŽpunɹb ÇɹoÉŸÇq ÉÇpı Çɥʇ pÉÉ¥ ı - sÇbÉ É¹oÉŸ ɹÇɥʇÇboʇ ʇnd oʇ pÇʇuÉÊ ÇÊŒ,ÇÊ Çuo sı ÇposıdÇ ÊÇu sıɥʇ
¡ןÇnbÇs Çɥʇ ʇnoqÉ É¹ÉÇÉ¥ oʇ pÇʇıɔxÇ puÉ - ÇɯosÇÊÉ :sןןÉÊnɹɥʇʞןÉÊ
˙ʇuıod Çɯos Ê‡É Çɹoɯ ʇı ɹÇÊŒoÉ” oʇ ÇÊŒÉÉ¥ ןן,ÇÊ Ë™ÊŽ×ŸÇʇÇןdɯoÉ” ʇou ʇnq - ÉŸo ʇɹos :ÊžÉıɯןÇs
Post by: Armageddon on 18 Jul 2013, 05:48
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 18 Jul 2013, 05:51
Is it a video podcast?
We actually did one in Australia but the King of the World deemed it "Too Dangerous And Sexy" and so we can't release more than a single static image of the least Dangerous And Sexy part:
(http://i.imgur.com/8QaY1kA.jpg)
Post by: Ponch on 18 Jul 2013, 20:09
we can't release more than a single static image of the least Dangerous And Sexy part:My God! The sheer amount of DangerSexTM on display is almost overwhelming! I think you made the right call by sparing the more sensitive members of this community exposure to such a thing. Think of the children! 8-0
(http://i.imgur.com/8QaY1kA.jpg)
Post by: Andail on 19 Jul 2013, 17:45
Looking forward to the next one!
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 19 Jul 2013, 18:22
Post by: Vince Twelve on 19 Jul 2013, 22:36
That soundtrack is in regular rotation on my phone along with the soundtracks of Dust Force and Thomas Was Alone. There are lots of other game soundtracks (my music collection is almost entirely game soundtracks) but those three get called back up all the time for me.
The Botanicula soundtrack is another classic. I saw DVA perform live at Indiecade earlier this year!
This was a great idea, guys. Some of these I've never heard and some were great shots straight in the nostalgia.
Post by: Grundislav on 20 Jul 2013, 00:09
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-cup-tools-podcast/id675920577 (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-cup-tools-podcast/id675920577)
Post by: Ponch on 20 Jul 2013, 01:30
We've joined the rest of the internet and now our podcast is available on iTunes!Sweet! This means you'll have to put out new installments at regular intervals of else Steve Jobs (now in Lich (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lich_%28Dungeons_%26_Dragons%29) form) gets to harvest your souls for violating the iTunes EULA. It's a win/win either way! :cheesy:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-cup-tools-podcast/id675920577 (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/blue-cup-tools-podcast/id675920577)
EDIT:
Taking a cue from the king of trophies, Vince XII, I would say that two game soundtracks I can never get enough of are Dark Forces and Outlaws. I loop them often when I'm working on AGS stuff.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 20 Jul 2013, 06:26
Ponch: I love the Outlaws sountrack, one of my favourites of all time, but sadly do not have a copy of the game, as I had borrowed it from a friend. I do, however, have two copies of Dark Forces.... :=
Post by: Armageddon on 20 Jul 2013, 06:37
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 20 Jul 2013, 06:40
I still play my games from disk, you know. Have you kids even ever seen a floppy disk that's actually floppy!?
Post by: Ponch on 20 Jul 2013, 07:24
I still play my games from disk, you know. Have you kids even ever seen a floppy disk that's actually floppy!?Punch cards or nothin'! You haven't played Colossal Cave Adventure properly unless you've spent twelve hours feeding the punch cards in, one at a time, into your IBM / Hollerith card reader only to discover that you got two cards out of order six hours earlier and now you'll have to spend the entire next day reloading them again. And no saved games! None! Saved games are for wussies! Make a mistake and die? Perma-death followed by twelve hours of card loading to start a new game!
Now when is the CupCast going to be available on vinyl or 8-track I can get in the mail? I'm tired of trying to get your fancy electro-files to play in this new-fangled "Real Audio" player you forced me to install. :angry:
Post by: Grundislav on 20 Jul 2013, 08:20
Post by: Andail on 20 Jul 2013, 08:47
Post by: straydogstrut on 20 Jul 2013, 09:11
Nice walking around with your voices whispering in my head *ahem*
No big deal, but for some reason all the episodes are listed as published 1st Jan 2001 in the iPhone Podcasts app.. maybe the pubDate in the XML file?
Post by: Ponch on 20 Jul 2013, 15:35
I still play games on cassette :wink:The only authentic magnetic media. I like your style! If you ask me, this whole "compact disc" thing is just a fad. It will never catch on. People will come back to cassettes. You just wait and see. :cheesy:
Post by: Mati256 on 20 Jul 2013, 16:35
Post by: Grundislav on 21 Jul 2013, 05:47
Post by: Mati256 on 21 Jul 2013, 05:55
Post by: Armageddon on 21 Jul 2013, 06:28
I don't agree with you at all! :P I think it's better that the player character not say the dialogue option you just read and chose. Like FO3.
Post by: Andail on 21 Jul 2013, 11:17
Probably lousy compared to every other class, but I've never been a power gamer.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 21 Jul 2013, 12:19
Post by: Ponch on 21 Jul 2013, 16:38
Post by: Mati256 on 21 Jul 2013, 19:08
Post by: selmiak on 21 Jul 2013, 22:48
Post by: Vince Twelve on 22 Jul 2013, 03:48
Thanks for throwing in a Forest review alongside the discussion of all the great OROW games! Wait, I'm a dart board now?
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 22 Jul 2013, 09:29
Post by: Grundislav on 22 Jul 2013, 09:42
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 22 Jul 2013, 11:57
Post by: Mikeg on 22 Jul 2013, 12:54
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 27 Jul 2013, 03:06
(http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/135347-kronolog-the-nazi-paradox-dos-screenshot-i-come-for-your-funeral.png)
Post by: Grundislav on 27 Jul 2013, 08:35
OH BOY!!! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_15.mp3)
Post by: Ryan Timothy B on 27 Jul 2013, 09:48
Now talk about Skyrim. A whole episode. You know you want to.
Post by: Ponch on 28 Jul 2013, 02:31
Post by: Armageddon on 28 Jul 2013, 05:47
Post by: Ponch on 29 Jul 2013, 16:04
Post by: Grundislav on 03 Aug 2013, 07:01
Companion characters! Bromance! Let's all be friends!
Post by: Armageddon on 03 Aug 2013, 07:55
Post by: The Fool on 03 Aug 2013, 14:10
I love the fact that the awesome bleeding emo poet in Ben Chandler: Paranormal investigator was actually based on Calin Leafshade. And that he was willing to voice himself :D
Post by: jwalt on 03 Aug 2013, 15:13
Post by: Ponch on 03 Aug 2013, 18:03
Post by: Vince Twelve on 05 Aug 2013, 21:28
Excuse me while I get back to my Grundi/Ben slash-fiction.
Post by: Grundislav on 06 Aug 2013, 01:16
Excuse me while I get back to my Grundi/Ben slash-fiction.
Don't forget to include a Morales in there somewhere.
Post by: Ponch on 06 Aug 2013, 01:38
But that would make it snuff slash fiction. And no one wants to read that sort of stuff! :=Excuse me while I get back to my Grundi/Ben slash-fiction.Don't forget to include a Morales in there somewhere.
Post by: Grundislav on 10 Aug 2013, 17:32
A very atmospheric discussion. Also, longest podcast yet, but the last one for a while because I'm moving away and won't have access to my PC and microphone for a couple of weeks.
Post by: Fitz on 10 Aug 2013, 21:42
Post by: Vince Twelve on 11 Aug 2013, 03:23
Post by: Armageddon on 11 Aug 2013, 03:33
Dibs on stand-in Grundislav duties.Yay, we may get more after all! Great podcast today though, nice to listen to while drawing, not much insight in how to create atmosphere though. :P
Post by: Ponch on 11 Aug 2013, 03:53
Dibs on stand-in Grundislav duties.I'll hold your trophies while you skype. :wink:
Another good installment. Can't wait for the next one.
Post by: Andail on 11 Aug 2013, 13:51
Nooo!**
Yay!***
Nooo!****
* Another podcast.
** Grundislav taking podcasting break.
*** Vince possible substitute.
**** Out of orange juice.
Post by: Grundislav on 22 Sep 2013, 17:39
Post by: Retro Wolf on 22 Sep 2013, 19:56
Post by: Ponch on 22 Sep 2013, 19:57
Post by: Andail on 22 Sep 2013, 20:49
http://www.i-mockery.com/comics/longbox7/
Post by: Armageddon on 22 Sep 2013, 22:00
Post by: selmiak on 22 Sep 2013, 22:42
have fun in NY ben :D
Post by: Scarab on 23 Sep 2013, 15:38
We're back! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_18.mp3)
Sweet!
Can't wait to give it a listen during tomorrow's commute :-D
Edit after listening: Another great installment, keep 'em coming :)
P.S. No complaints here with regards to podcasts with no specific theme.
Post by: Grundislav on 29 Sep 2013, 19:27
Post by: Ponch on 29 Sep 2013, 21:13
Post by: Ryan Timothy B on 30 Sep 2013, 02:57
Post by: Armageddon on 30 Sep 2013, 03:01
Post by: DoorKnobHandle on 30 Sep 2013, 10:27
Post by: Grundislav on 02 Oct 2013, 05:27
Post by: Ponch on 02 Oct 2013, 06:29
Post by: Andail on 03 Oct 2013, 17:54
I didn't read Miller's Batman myself, but I remember stumbling upon this article years back:
http://www.i-mockery.com/comics/longbox7/
Oh, Andail, did you bother to dig up an article on that Batman episode that we explicitly asked you, our listeners, to find for us? THANK YOU
Post by: Grundislav on 03 Oct 2013, 18:04
Post by: DoorKnobHandle on 04 Oct 2013, 00:10
Post by: Grundislav on 05 Oct 2013, 07:11
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 05 Oct 2013, 07:15
I didn't read Miller's Batman myself, but I remember stumbling upon this article years back:
http://www.i-mockery.com/comics/longbox7/
Oh, Andail, did you bother to dig up an article on that Batman episode that we explicitly asked you, our listeners, to find for us? THANK YOU
I missed this before, but read this now. Wow. Batman has sure got issues in this arc!
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 05 Oct 2013, 09:06
Post by: Armageddon on 06 Oct 2013, 05:18
http://dos-ist-gut.tumblr.com/
http://bad-opinions.tumblr.com/
Who could do such a thing! (wrong)
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 06 Oct 2013, 05:22
Post by: Ponch on 06 Oct 2013, 05:51
Bad: I didn't learn about it until bedtime. :sad:
How am I supposed to sleep tonight knowing there's a new episode waiting in the morning? How, Grundlben? HOW?! :shocked:
Post by: Armageddon on 06 Oct 2013, 05:52
(and yes I did)
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 06 Oct 2013, 08:54
I'm a little shocked and hurt by this revelation.
Post by: Baron on 06 Oct 2013, 17:55
Post by: Ponch on 06 Oct 2013, 19:24
Now hang on a minute. Are you telling me, Ponch, that you don't refresh this thread every 5 minutes, all day, every day?I don't have time! I spend all day refreshing my PM box to see if you've sent me a PM... but you never do... :~(;)
I'm a little shocked and hurt by this revelation.
Post by: Grundislav on 11 Oct 2013, 18:09
Post by: selmiak on 11 Oct 2013, 21:32
Hey, thanks for not recognising I mentioned FTL before Ryan did, accompanied with a funny idea for a special edition episode... I'd really love to hear you 2 ramble all about the game and everything else on your mind while simultaneously playing FTL on the podcast. That comment about having read the book for Doom really cracked me up! But there is indeed a comic for the game with some quoteable badass lines in it and no story at all :)
SuperMeatBoy is a really good challenge (and not as insanely hard as iwbtg) if you are bored with flashback and smb also happens to be an indie game.
Post by: Armageddon on 12 Oct 2013, 15:02
Post by: Ponch on 12 Oct 2013, 23:10
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 13 Oct 2013, 12:57
Only one of you did a great Walken impression. I'll let you guys decide which. :P
I don't really do Walken impressions. I merely talk funny. Grundislav, however, used to delight me with his amazing drunken Walken impressions every weekend before his social life turned into staying at home and skyping with me all day.
He also does a sensational Bowie when drunk. He and I teamed up for a Space Oddity duet in a bar on karaoke night and it was sensational.
As for a Doom book, there really is one. Actually, a 4 part series. I actually own one of them. As for Super Meat Boy, one of these fiends is Layabout and the other is me. Can you guess which one!? (https://fbcdn-sphotos-d-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/s720x720/298199_10152735763325212_228004182_n.jpg)
Post by: selmiak on 13 Oct 2013, 13:36
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 13 Oct 2013, 15:37
Post by: Armageddon on 13 Oct 2013, 17:48
Post by: Chicky on 13 Oct 2013, 19:44
Post by: Grundislav on 13 Oct 2013, 21:44
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 14 Oct 2013, 08:41
Post by: Andail on 14 Oct 2013, 18:13
Yeah I absolutely agree that games nowadays are being dumbed down and streamlined just to make sure the player won't have to spend valuable minutes finding out how the game actually works on their own.
Years back I played the vanilla WoW. But when I watched some kids in school play it recently, I realized that so much was changed in this direction that the game appeared to be some kind of easy version of the WoW I had played. They just ran around and XPs somehow just rained over them with zero effort, and acquiring epic weapons was done in a matter of minutes.
I spoke to a friend who had tried Guild wars 2, and he explained that there was basically no easing in going on in terms of game material - all skills and places and monsters and special effects were shoved in the face of the player immediately. Instead you had tutorial stuff going on, explaining everything.
So my conclusion is that these days you can't really present a game slowly to the player, like back when I started playing WoW and I was walking around in a big nice forest on my own for hours and hours with virtually no gear and maybe one or two skills, while learning how to play the bloody game, so instead all the awesomeness has to be presented at once to impress people and get their attention, and in return you have to dumb down every single rule or obstacle lest it gets far too hard to manage.
Long sentence.
And yeah, I guess we teachers don't put funny hats on pupils that answer incorrectly anymore, but that's a slightly different issue - if I respond encouragingly to someone who gave an incorrect answer, I've probably ensured that the child in question dares to try again, instead of forever muting them.
Sure, there's a lot of pampering going on in schools today - you virtually can't fail a student without raising hell everywhere, no matter how lousy they are - but the part where we give constructive feedback to failures is not the problem :)
Post by: Grundislav on 14 Oct 2013, 23:26
I blew my trousers apart with the power of rock, baby.More like the power of b-roc-occoli, Fartpants!
Post by: Ryan Timothy B on 15 Oct 2013, 00:36
Post by: Ponch on 16 Oct 2013, 04:32
Well I supposeHeresy! :shocked:rockflatulence is better than the Tenacious D style of ripping your pants open (man, such a bad movie).
Post by: Sephiroth on 16 Oct 2013, 11:02
Quote
I have the best shirts.
You also have the best hats! 8-)
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 16 Oct 2013, 12:35
Andail's post highlights something that games were never afraid to do back in the day: allow the player to explore and learn things for themselves without fear of them getting bored/impatient with a game. It's very rewarding to figure things out on your own, and part of the fun of a game for me is overcoming the challenge of not being good at it and learning how to play it well. Lose that, and you've lost one of the aspects that makes a game an enjoyable experience.
Post by: Chicky on 17 Oct 2013, 23:13
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 17 Oct 2013, 23:42
Post by: Ponch on 18 Oct 2013, 03:23
Andail's post highlights something that games were never afraid to do back in the day: allow the player to explore and learn things for themselves without fear of them getting bored/impatient with a game. ... Lose that, and you've lost one of the aspects that makes a game an enjoyable experience.I agree completely. I'm tired of games holding my hand through every encounter. Either my map is covered in waypoints and objective flags, or everything I can interact with had a golden sheen on it so I can't miss it.
I miss the days of hidden areas, secret levels, and more than one way to the goal. :undecided:
Post by: Grim on 18 Oct 2013, 03:57
Enjoyed it a lot!
Perfect for when you're tinkering with some backgrounds for a new game.
Post by: Grundislav on 19 Oct 2013, 03:35
Post by: Ponch on 19 Oct 2013, 04:25
Post by: Armageddon on 19 Oct 2013, 04:28
Also Ponch, Gravity is amazing. See it in IMAX maybe if you have it there.
Ben, you haven't seen enough movies to know that Priest is a pretty not good film. :-D
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 19 Oct 2013, 05:04
Ponch: Your dedication to the podcast is most admirable!
Post by: Grundislav on 19 Oct 2013, 05:05
Post by: Ponch on 19 Oct 2013, 05:07
Ponch: Your dedication to the podcast is most admirable!Shhh! I'm listening to the podcast! If you're going to make noise, go outside and wait on the curb with my girlfriend! ;)
Gravity was pretty amazing. First movie I've ever seen in 3d and I can't imagine seeing it in 2d.This goes double for you, Shakespeare hater! :P
Post by: Andail on 19 Oct 2013, 12:11
Also nice hearing Joel's voice :) We've communicated a lot and now there's a voice attached to those text messages. A slightly disoriented voice struggling for words :P
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 19 Oct 2013, 13:10
Post by: Grundislav on 26 Oct 2013, 16:22
Also, for you hip Twitter people the podcast now has an official account: https://twitter.com/BCT_Podcast (https://twitter.com/BCT_Podcast)
Post by: Armageddon on 27 Oct 2013, 03:56
Post by: Ponch on 27 Oct 2013, 04:50
A few quick observations:
* Grundy derides others for not playing text parser games, yet he has never played Fallout or Tex Murphy. For shame!
* Why wasn't the performance by Ben and the 304s podcasted or streamed over the web? Surely the tubes could handle the strain!
* Australia, the deadliest continent on Earth, mandates bicycle helmets and bells? Isn't that a minor concern in a country where spiders devour entire towns?!? (http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/thousands-spiders-blanket-australian-farm-escaping-flood-165958059.html) :shocked:
All in all, another fine episode. My DangerSexTM quota for the week has been met and I can sleep soundly tonight. Well done, gentlemen.
Post by: Chicky on 30 Oct 2013, 23:09
Post by: Grundislav on 31 Oct 2013, 16:07
Post by: Stupot on 31 Oct 2013, 18:18
This happened in the UK last year:
http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/11/21/man-who-accidentally-handed-out-cocaine-instead-of-halloween-candy-sentenced-to-community-service/
Post by: Ponch on 31 Oct 2013, 22:19
Fortunately for my blood pressure, halfway through the podcast I paused it and listened to the Quake theme for a few minutes. It gave me the time I needed to sort my feelings and realize that I can still find a way to love the podcast despite Grundy's incredibly limited knowledge of art and culture (ad big bottoms). And now I must go play Spaceman In Space for a bit and then flip through my old Druuna hard covers. :=
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 31 Oct 2013, 22:44
Druuna hard covers. :=
:cheesy:
Post by: Grundislav on 01 Nov 2013, 00:03
It gave me the time I needed to sort my feelings and realize that I can still find a way to love the podcast despite Grundy's incredibly limited knowledge of art and culture (ad big bottoms).
Ok, I'll give you art, I'll give you culture, but big bottoms? HOW DARE YOU SIR! MY KNOWLEDGE OF BIG BOTTOMS IS UNPARALLELED!
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 01 Nov 2013, 00:04
Post by: Grundislav on 01 Nov 2013, 00:05
Post by: Ponch on 01 Nov 2013, 01:20
(and I cannot lie)
(http://cdn.uproxx.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/tmnt-set-photos-megan-fox-08b-omg-becky-sir-mix-a-lot-baby-got-back.jpg)
I shall take you at your word, Grundy. Butt you are on probation, ass far as I'm concerned. :cool:
Post by: Armageddon on 01 Nov 2013, 05:26
I play that every single Halloween.
Also Ben, play System Shock 2 and get all the HD mods.
Post by: Grundislav on 09 Nov 2013, 16:54
Post by: Andail on 09 Nov 2013, 17:06
Post by: Mati256 on 09 Nov 2013, 17:23
Post by: festilligambe on 09 Nov 2013, 17:25
Post by: Daniel Thomas on 09 Nov 2013, 20:42
Post by: Andail on 09 Nov 2013, 22:19
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 09 Nov 2013, 23:22
Andail: Noooo, I was laughing at Grundislav!
Post by: Ponch on 09 Nov 2013, 23:24
Post by: Armageddon on 10 Nov 2013, 03:50
Post by: David Ostman on 10 Nov 2013, 13:11
Post by: Grundislav on 16 Nov 2013, 17:49
Roberta Williams fans may not enjoy this one so much...
Post by: Armageddon on 17 Nov 2013, 01:31
I'd love to see a 304 FPS. Maybe with Quake 2 with shoddy Strife conversation systems and blocky BSP worlds. :P
Post by: Ponch on 17 Nov 2013, 01:59
Will I learn something shocking and offensive about Francisco? Will the bromance that is GrundlBen continue to warm the cockles of AGSers everywhere? Will Ben once again speak of spider orgies and sweets tins? I can't wait to find out! :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy:
Post by: selmiak on 17 Nov 2013, 03:01
Post by: Xionix on 18 Nov 2013, 16:36
Post by: Grundislav on 23 Nov 2013, 11:40
Post by: Ponch on 23 Nov 2013, 18:35
Post by: Grundislav on 30 Nov 2013, 15:26
Post by: Armageddon on 30 Nov 2013, 19:38
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 30 Nov 2013, 23:11
It was not a joke. (https://twitter.com/dosnostalgic/status/406933918689280000/photo/1/large)
Post by: Fitz on 01 Dec 2013, 08:54
Post by: Armageddon on 01 Dec 2013, 09:26
Post by: Fitz on 01 Dec 2013, 10:04
It's also not very far-fetched to assume alcohol is a vital part of the creative process.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 01 Dec 2013, 10:47
Post by: Grundislav on 01 Dec 2013, 14:38
Also, we didn't play the drinking game ourselves, those pictures were taken by Anatoly. (boing)
Post by: Grundislav on 07 Dec 2013, 19:16
Post by: Andail on 07 Dec 2013, 19:50
Now I can listen to the voices of AGSers even though I couldn't make it to AdventureX :)
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 08 Dec 2013, 00:42
Post by: Ponch on 08 Dec 2013, 00:55
Post by: Andail on 08 Dec 2013, 09:01
And I endorse writing in proper notebooks, old-style. Beats computer documents!
Post by: Armageddon on 08 Dec 2013, 13:13
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 08 Dec 2013, 17:17
(hint: if you want us to discuss something specific about a subject, be specific in your request.)
Post by: selmiak on 08 Dec 2013, 17:24
why is monkey island such a great game and would it be as great without the insult swordfighting?
is 320x200 a small enought resolution for todays retro games or can it be halfed?
what is character development in adventure games and how to accomplish it as a characteristic developer developing character development 8-0
Post by: Daniel Thomas on 08 Dec 2013, 23:30
But why can't I use Photoshop for animations?! :~(
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 08 Dec 2013, 23:32
(most of the things I say are picking on Grundislav :D)
Post by: Vince Twelve on 08 Dec 2013, 23:55
But yeah, the game making talk was super interesting hearing you guys break down the inspirations and completely different processes you follow. More of that, please!
Actually, I'd really love to listen to other AGSers run down their own processes for making their games.
Throwing out ideas for future shows:
-Working with teams
-Writing interesting characters
-Non-standard adventures
-Dialog writing in general
-Interface design!
Post by: Stupot on 09 Dec 2013, 01:10
But if anything 'what's your game making process?' is a really broad question. If you broke it down and had a different focus each week, such as Vince's ideas, that's hours of discussion fodder right there.
@Vince, if you're interested in more people's processes, have you checked out this recent thread? http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=49582.0
Post by: Armageddon on 09 Dec 2013, 01:18
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 09 Dec 2013, 01:39
The insights into your game making methods are really interesting. Well I'm interested in anyone's methods.
But if anything 'what's your game making process?' is a really broad question. If you broke it down and had a different focus each week, such as Vince's ideas, that's hours of discussion fodder right there.
Aye, but we've covered a ton of stuff and it's been nearly 30 podcasts. Hard to remember exactly what we've spoken about and what not, so hard to know exactly what you want to hear about. We're happy to break things down and talk about specific things; but if there's something specific you're interested in, let us know what you'd like to see it broken down into.
That being said, lots of good topics we can cover. Bravo!
Post by: Stupot on 09 Dec 2013, 02:13
Post by: Grundislav on 14 Dec 2013, 16:04
Post by: Ponch on 14 Dec 2013, 20:07
I'm all a'tingle! :cheesy:
Post by: DoorKnobHandle on 14 Dec 2013, 20:10
Ooh! What incredibly offensive thing will we learn about Grundy this week? Does he hate puppies? Is he reading Mein Kampf? Is he parking in handicapped spots?
It's much worse. He hasn't seen Star Wars Episode IV.
Post by: Ponch on 14 Dec 2013, 20:41
The horror!! :shocked: I can only hope that he hasn't seen Episode I either!Ooh! What incredibly offensive thing will we learn about Grundy this week? Does he hate puppies? Is he reading Mein Kampf? Is he parking in handicapped spots?
It's much worse. He hasn't seen Star Wars Episode IV.
I'll be praying for you, Grundy! :sealed:
Post by: DoorKnobHandle on 14 Dec 2013, 20:44
And he... kinda... Liked it I guess? Not sure but it sounded like he kinda did. Oh the humanity!
Post by: Armageddon on 15 Dec 2013, 04:42
Very good podcast though, good subject.
Post by: Grundislav on 15 Dec 2013, 07:45
Post by: selmiak on 15 Dec 2013, 11:54
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 15 Dec 2013, 13:29
(it's not ags but it's far from AAA)
Post by: selmiak on 15 Dec 2013, 13:38
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 15 Dec 2013, 13:40
Post by: Armageddon on 16 Dec 2013, 01:41
Armageddon: I LOVE There Will Be Blood. It's definitely an influence on AGW.P.T. Anderson is great at writing characters you want to follow for a whole film. Hopefully Alfie Banks won't sink as low as Daniel Plainview though. :)
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 16 Dec 2013, 02:58
Post by: Grundislav on 28 Dec 2013, 17:50
Working in teams and the weird stuff it makes you do.
Post by: Armageddon on 28 Dec 2013, 18:29
Also Hotline Miami is great.
Post by: Chicky on 28 Dec 2013, 19:16
=10m10s
Dat lead bleepy bloop!
Post by: Ponch on 28 Dec 2013, 19:49
Quote from: ThreeOhFour
Breaking Indie News: Ponch doesn't use Twitter!Damn it! Now my secret is out! :shocked: I can never show my udders in this forum again! I can certainly never send pictures of my udders to GrundlBen!
And when did they start calling "HumpBack" "CamelCase" instead? Darn you kids and your new names for old things! And why am I still the only person using 2.72?! And why did you tell everyone I'm old? And why does no one send letters anymore? You kids today have terrible penmanship!
(http://www.barnrunner.com/pics/misc/Y_U_No_Secrets.PNG)
Post by: Armageddon on 28 Dec 2013, 21:13
Post by: Daniel Thomas on 28 Dec 2013, 21:19
You made do a few steam purchases.. Not that I have time to play them, but at least my steam library will look cool!
Post by: selmiak on 28 Dec 2013, 23:28
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 29 Dec 2013, 08:00
Ponch: It's been called CamelCase for as long as I've been coding. Worth it for the mad cow pic :D
Armageddon: It really depends what your goals are. For me, game development takes all forms, because I do it as a hobby, but also as a job. I never hate a game, but there's always a point where you go "Man, I could do so much better than this" and you reach a crisis where you have to give up and persevere. Game design certainly isn't for everyone. Doing it as a job means it takes some of the sheen away from doing it as a hobby - you have to make sure you get x amount of work done each day, etc, and that can take the fun away from it. There'll always be stuff you like less in game development, and the way to overcome this is to either find someone who will do this aspect for you and focus on the stuff you prefer, or to get better at that thing and learn more about it. Knowing more and more about a subject is the best way to get more passionate about it, in my experience.
Daniel: Nice! Street cred unlocked!
Selmiak: The BlueCupTools Podcast officially endorses the act of drawing genitals.
Post by: Fitz on 29 Dec 2013, 15:39
With all that in mind, there'll still be times when I hate what I'm doing. There will be days when I'm out of ideas for comics, or when I'm tired/cranky and I can't focus on anything, not to mention sit there for 4+ hours doing just one thing. And I do get what Armageddon means. I got so exhausted with one of my webcomics that even though I left it with an open ending, intending to get back to it at some point, it's been five years and I never have. Not going to unless I find an easier, less demanding style -- because the artwork got almost photo-realistic at some point, and while it looked pretty nifty, it took all of my free time after work and weekends. There just has to be a balance between the effort involved and the enjoyment you get out of it. There's no point in maintaining a hobby that you hate every step of the way and you feel like you've chased yourself in a corner. Most of us have our day jobs for that ;)
Post by: Ponch on 29 Dec 2013, 15:50
The BlueCupTools Podcast officially endorses the act of drawing genitals.Finally! A reason to break out the tablet! :=
Post by: Vince Twelve on 30 Dec 2013, 21:08
Post by: Ponch on 30 Dec 2013, 23:44
Love triangle drama!WHAT?! NO WAYS!! :shocked: This is a bromance that shall last for all time! Nothing can divide this uncomfortably humid ManLove... can it? :cry:
Post by: Grundislav on 04 Jan 2014, 14:58
First podcast of 2014! Special guest Dave Gilbert joins us to talk about game design.
Post by: Dave Gilbert on 04 Jan 2014, 15:05
Post by: Stee on 04 Jan 2014, 17:18
So... When are you kickstarting? :P
Post by: Ponch on 04 Jan 2014, 18:54
(http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/Smileys/AGS/cheesy.gif)
UPDATE: A very nice installment. I'm sad that Dave didn't give us a nice Deliverants, but I can live with that, I guess.
Fun fact: The very first PM I ever got here was from Dave Gilbert, way back at the end of 2004. It was very encouraging. Thanks, Dave. Is that offer to do some beta testing for me still open? :cool:
Post by: Armageddon on 05 Jan 2014, 01:09
Post by: Vince Twelve on 06 Jan 2014, 14:15
Post by: Dave Gilbert on 06 Jan 2014, 14:55
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 06 Jan 2014, 15:17
Post by: Ponch on 06 Jan 2014, 15:24
UPLOAD A SPECIAL EDITION MINI-SODE!!
DON'T MAKE ME BREAK OUT THE ANGRY COW!!! :=
Post by: Stupot on 09 Jan 2014, 00:43
Post by: Grundislav on 11 Jan 2014, 15:13
Dave is back this week along with wife Janet (briefly) to discuss the benefits of beta testing, as well as feedback and criticism from others.
Post by: selmiak on 11 Jan 2014, 22:42
*secretly hopes for anatoli mentions*
Post by: selmiak on 12 Jan 2014, 00:15
best word creation from this podcast: mindblinking, or was it mindblanking? Anyways, funny and enjoyable podcast with good themes and explanations to it. And I made it though it without falling asleep ;)
Post by: Vince Twelve on 12 Jan 2014, 18:25
And in the end, it wound up not really being that huge of a change.
For those wondering exactly what the changes were, I'm going to go full spoiler here, so don't read the spoiler section unless you've played Resonance.
At the point when Dave sent me an email with their proposed changes, the phone tracing conversation, finale crane confrontation, and ending scenes had not been written. So, I was convinced that my version of events would totally work once that stuff was in there. Dave's suggestion was primarily that we change Ed's motivation for the events of the game and untangle some other things with simpler explanations.
Here's a rundown of the differences between the version of events I had planned and the ending as proposed: HUGE SPOILERS
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 12 Jan 2014, 19:10
Post by: Ponch on 13 Jan 2014, 00:49
Another enjoyable installment in the Wadjet Eye Podcast! :wink:
Post by: Armageddon on 13 Jan 2014, 03:14
Post by: JoshuaSmyth on 13 Jan 2014, 21:55
Post by: Grundislav on 19 Jan 2014, 03:10
Puzzle variety and the usual David Cage bashing.
Post by: Ponch on 19 Jan 2014, 15:29
Post by: selmiak on 19 Jan 2014, 18:19
Post by: Stupot on 19 Jan 2014, 18:56
Post by: Chicky on 20 Jan 2014, 16:24
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 20 Jan 2014, 16:30
Post by: Vince Twelve on 22 Jan 2014, 15:55
Re: mazes. I added the maze to Resonance as sort of a personal challenge. Everyone hates mazes in adventure games and I wanted to show that one could be done right. A risky proposition, because if done wrong it can really put a damper on an otherwise great game. Inherit the Earth, which Ben mentioned, is one of my favorite games with the one glaring exception of that damn maze. The Space Bar, another of my faves, has a 3D maze navigated from the first person that you have to solve in the minimal number of clicks. It's the most frustrating part of the game. Challenge accepted.
So here were my rules for adding a maze to a game:
1. Relevant to the story. My maze was a child's nightmare representation of a repressed memory. (spoiler alert?) The dream was an integral part of the story and related, eventually, to events outside the dream.
2. Presented in a readable way. Grundislav's example of the KQ5(?) maze that changed perspectives when you turned around is a great example of what not to do. The player has to be able to keep their bearings. I chose a top-down view for that purpose.
3. Player must be given in-game tools to solve the maze. Yes, you can map the maze with a paper and pencil as you go, but I'm a big believer that all the knowledge needed to solve a puzzle must be IN the game. (Which is why I put a calculator in the game with a pi key just in case some one didn't know the value of pi.) Hence the "breadcrumbs" in the form of coins. I also hinted at being able to use them by hiding a memory referencing Hansel and Gretel in the maze.
4. Some twist to make them unique. As you get deeper in the maze, it starts rotating - a literal twist - giving extra challenge. (some complained that this detracted from #2 though)
5. Optional! This might not always be possible, but I wanted my maze to be skippable. The reward for completing it is a bit of back story and a huge hint towards solving another puzzle, namely the key to decode the journal. The journal, of course, is also an optional puzzle, and can be decoded without the hint earned in the maze.
In my next game, I'm taking on a similar challenge: the whole game is about shaking orange juice and taking a shower.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 22 Jan 2014, 16:18
Inherit the Earth, which Ben mentioned, is one of my favorite games with the one glaring exception of that damn maze.
I wouldn't say I disliked this maze, just that it took me a long, long time with pen and paper to solve. If you can handle that, it's more rewarding to me than, say, grinding bland RPG monsters over and over and over again to level up. (I like RPGS!)
But yeah, the biggest issue is totally the perspective change. I think the fireberries section in Kyrandia is great, though, so clearly I hate fun.
Post by: Ponch on 22 Jan 2014, 16:29
Everyone hates mazes in adventure gamesI like mazes. :sad:
But I always make my mazes optional. :cool:
So what's this about XII Showers? Are you jumping on the David Cage bandwagon and putting gratuitous shower scenes in your games? Awesome! I'm going to do that too. Coming soon: Oceanspirit Dennis in Rubber Duck Adventures :=
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 22 Jan 2014, 16:31
Not saying you shouldn't do more, just that there's already a precedent, so you can hardly start doing something when you've already done it. :=
Post by: Ponch on 22 Jan 2014, 16:38
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 22 Jan 2014, 16:40
Post by: Ponch on 22 Jan 2014, 16:43
/me imagines the same game remade with Ray and Dennis...Don't just imagine it! Make it happen! You're overdue for your next OSD game anyway. A tactical real-time rubber duck vs. submarine battle would be just the thing, if you ask me! :cheesy:
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 22 Jan 2014, 16:46
Post by: Ponch on 22 Jan 2014, 16:49
After lol, Oceanspirit Dennis, I think I'm actually somewhat underdue, to be perfectly frank. :grin:Stop making up words and start making Dennis games! And where's the next podcast? I need my fix!!!
Post by: selmiak on 22 Jan 2014, 17:18
Post by: Grundislav on 25 Jan 2014, 17:53
DANE KRAMS!
Post by: Ponch on 25 Jan 2014, 21:34
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 25 Jan 2014, 23:06
Post by: Ponch on 26 Jan 2014, 00:05
Post by: Armageddon on 26 Jan 2014, 02:29
Post by: selmiak on 26 Jan 2014, 18:11
And I found the one Thread you were talking about:
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=32126.msg415012#msg415012
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 26 Jan 2014, 18:14
Post by: Daniel Thomas on 28 Jan 2014, 01:58
Oh, but the pressure, now I need to go back and redo all the art 8-0
But hopefully we can give some news about the project soon.
Interesting talk, I agree on many things about the feedback, but some different view on how far to go. But I'll leave that to a PM.
Post by: Grundislav on 01 Feb 2014, 17:08
The NAKED truth!
Post by: Ponch on 01 Feb 2014, 23:57
Episode 35 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_35.mp3)Awesome! Let me just take off my pants and put in my earbuds! :=
The NAKED truth!
Post by: Ibispi on 02 Feb 2014, 23:08
Post by: selmiak on 03 Feb 2014, 01:07
Post by: Grundislav on 03 Feb 2014, 01:42
Post by: selmiak on 03 Feb 2014, 02:28
Post by: Ponch on 03 Feb 2014, 04:18
so, does this mean, you are teh gays? 8-0 8-)Have you never listened to this podcast before? Grundlben is the greatest of all bromances! :cool:
Post by: selmiak on 03 Feb 2014, 16:59
What's the complete name of this performance artist you mentioned, vito ...?
Post by: Grundislav on 03 Feb 2014, 17:07
and, more specifically, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seedbed_%28performance_piece%29 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seedbed_%28performance_piece%29)
Post by: Vince Twelve on 03 Feb 2014, 22:12
Another great one. I wholeheartedly agree with the notion that watering your work down for fear of offending or being misconstrued is the worst disservice you can do your audience.
Neither of you have wives (obviously, or you'd make each other jealous), but in the project I'm currently working on, I've caught myself feeling very self-conscious when I'm writing relationship or marital problems into my story for fear that someone will assume that I must be drawing on my own marriage as inspiration and using my writing as an outlet for my frustrations. But then I step back from it and realize I've never once watched a movie where the husband and wife are fighting and thought to myself "Man, this screenwriter must really have a shitty marriage."
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 03 Feb 2014, 23:02
Unless you make it super obvious (look at the romantic interest in Driftmoon and compare her to Anne Mönkkönen :grin::grin::grin:) then I really doubt anybody will make some connection between relationship issues in the work and those in real life - unless they were directly involved in something with a high number of corresponding elements or, you know, you tell them.
Post by: Grundislav on 09 Feb 2014, 17:21
VEGEMITE
Post by: Stupot on 18 Feb 2014, 23:36
Post by: Armageddon on 20 Feb 2014, 09:58
Post by: Grundislav on 20 Feb 2014, 11:04
Post by: Grundislav on 01 Mar 2014, 17:46
Post by: selmiak on 01 Mar 2014, 22:28
Post by: mitlark on 01 Mar 2014, 22:42
(?).
Nice podcast. I had a lot of laughs, and made my day a better one. Good for listening while you're doing AGS things.
Post by: Armageddon on 02 Mar 2014, 08:59
Post by: Stupot on 02 Mar 2014, 11:05
If you want to provide me, as a player, with some degree of choice along the way, then great. If you can create the illusion that I am having some impact over how the story is playing out, then even better, but you don't have to create multiple branches and personalised endings in order to make me happy. Tell me a story. Just one story will be fine. I'm probably only likely to play the game once anyway. And if I play it again it's because I enjoyed it the first time around. So if I want a different story I can play a different game.
Post by: mitlark on 02 Mar 2014, 16:07
Thing with non-linearity is that it doesn't has anything to do with the impact and extra endings. It's about breaking the "A to B" paradigm, making it instead A to either B, C, D, E, F... then at some point Z. Or finally end up with W, X, Y as possible endings.
Then the games that just throw a different cinematic depending on your variable values. Bools and integers determining what ending sequence plays (?).
Now let's think about linear vs. non-linear. Which is easier to develop? Which pleases most audiences without that much hazzle? Linear games. A lot of people are just caring for a story and blah. I'm not in that boat because I like a little more of non-linearity, but if I can please people with the easiest path, then it's a good thing to consider. Nowadays is pretty hard to achieve a good replay value if your game's main aspect is story.
If you go for a non-linear approach, there is this thing that involves branching. Let's say you make a branching, you have two results. Each of these branches then break again in two separate branches each. Now we have 4 paths. Let's say this happens over and over. With 7 levels of branching, you have 2^7=128 different paths. So you pretty much have to make 128 games in one.
Of course, I'm not taking into account that some branches start at mid of game, neither am I considering that some branches can join at some point, which is the key for branching stories, because neither you or your players will follow up with that gigantic schema where they are.
Post by: Grundislav on 08 Mar 2014, 14:23
Work environment!
Post by: Armageddon on 08 Mar 2014, 16:31
Post by: Vince Twelve on 08 Mar 2014, 17:01
And phew, I thought you were going to go that whole podcast without mentioning me. Thank god I slipped in at the end. My ego! MY EGO!
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 08 Mar 2014, 17:05
Neither of you have played Thirty Flights of Loving? I don't think I can listen to your podcasts anymore...
Have you played Planescape: Torment? Well!? Have you!?
Post by: Stupot on 09 Mar 2014, 10:45
And phew, I thought you were going to go that whole podcast without mentioning me. Thank god I slipped in at the end. My ego! MY EGO!You got mentioned within 4 minutes :P
Post by: Ponch on 10 Mar 2014, 16:54
Post by: Daniel Thomas on 14 Mar 2014, 12:34
I had the same opinion about Open Office being slow, but I had not been looking for an alternative - Installed Libra office now and seems to work great so far :)
Post by: selmiak on 14 Mar 2014, 16:46
Post by: Daniel Thomas on 14 Mar 2014, 17:21
Realize it's getting off topic.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 14 Mar 2014, 19:40
Post by: Grundislav on 15 Mar 2014, 15:08
Post by: Grundislav on 22 Mar 2014, 20:09
GDC recap!
Post by: Blackthorne on 24 Mar 2014, 02:53
You did a really great wrap up for GDC, and listening to it, I got filled in on the stuff I missed. Anyway, I'm still recovering from my week, but I can definitely say it was great to meet and share AGS war-stories with you.
Bt
Post by: Daniel Thomas on 24 Mar 2014, 22:32
Post by: selmiak on 25 Mar 2014, 02:34
must have been fun! and even with a bonus track :-D
Post by: Vince Twelve on 26 Mar 2014, 20:38
And what the hell was that song at the end? What's going on? Where am I?
Post by: Grundislav on 12 Apr 2014, 13:39
Another animated discussion.
(social)
Post by: selmiak on 12 Apr 2014, 20:37
Post by: Sslaxx on 13 Apr 2014, 17:14
Hey! Awesome Podcast! I had a blast meeting you, and yeah - heh - it was a fun way to meet. And playing "Backdoor Man" with you and Edmundo was seriously a highlight of the whole shindig. I am really stoked for A Golden Wake, and I can't wait to throw thousands of bitcoins your way for it! Heh.You need to do one of these, if you haven't already.
You did a really great wrap up for GDC, and listening to it, I got filled in on the stuff I missed. Anyway, I'm still recovering from my week, but I can definitely say it was great to meet and share AGS war-stories with you.
Bt
Post by: Grundislav on 13 Apr 2014, 19:15
Post by: Sslaxx on 13 Apr 2014, 19:31
Do one of what? GDC wrap-ups? Listen to Episode 40 :)Do a podcast with BT.
Post by: Paul Franzen on 17 Apr 2014, 00:55
Thanks for doing this!
Post by: Grundislav on 19 Apr 2014, 16:10
Music in games!
Post by: Daniel Thomas on 22 Apr 2014, 02:00
Not all of us have Swedish sounding names, Grundislav! ;)
Post by: Grundislav on 26 Apr 2014, 19:12
Backgrounds again.
Post by: Andail on 26 Apr 2014, 19:59
Post by: Vince Twelve on 26 Apr 2014, 23:17
(http://www.blogcdn.com/www.switched.com/media/2008/09/office-space-boss6-1.jpg)
Also, interview Andail when you get a chance. I'll get you a copy of that memo.
Post by: Ponch on 26 Apr 2014, 23:37
(http://www.barnrunner.com/pics/misc/The_Bobs.jpg)
What exactly would you say you DO around here, Grundy?
Post by: Grundislav on 26 Apr 2014, 23:54
(http://i.imgur.com/3fiOJ0o.png)
Post by: Vince Twelve on 27 Apr 2014, 00:03
(https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/38322/2014-04-26%2017.59.14.png)
Post by: Grundislav on 27 Apr 2014, 00:05
Post by: Armageddon on 27 Apr 2014, 00:46
I saw the Blackwell backgrounds started as pen and paper block outs to prototype the gameplay before Ben drew them. I'm curious how much the artist would need to think of the design or how much direction they would be given, what objects to cast more light on than others. I'm curious how you would be thinking about the gameplay while drawing.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 27 Apr 2014, 01:40
Because Photoshopt is magical, I usually lay out the basic foundations of a scene because I start painting any light or shadow in at all. So, for an interior, I'll put up the walls, doors floors and ceilings, all in the sort of colour I want the room to be, and then from this basis work in the lighting and the shadows, keeping in mind where I then think everything will be, and defining a clear set of lightsources, so I can use these as a reference for lighting any objects. With basic lighting done, I start painting in the meat of the scene; the various furnishings, embellishments, lighting them according to the light sources I've already established. With that done, I do a final pass, touching everything up and doing any final colour adjustments needed.
Post by: Grundislav on 04 May 2014, 16:50
Andail!
Post by: Daniel Thomas on 07 May 2014, 09:01
Looking forward to see some of you guys' high res art and what you think about the production time going from low-res to high-res.
Maybe all of us Swedish Adventure devs could get together some time, maybe play each others games and hack them to pieces (as in test play and give feedback) :)
Post by: Vince Twelve on 10 May 2014, 17:01
Post by: Grundislav on 10 May 2014, 18:06
Diversity! Voice Acting! Sex Tapes!
Post by: Fitz on 11 May 2014, 19:12
Post by: Grundislav on 11 May 2014, 20:07
Post by: Sslaxx on 11 May 2014, 20:35
Post by: Grundislav on 17 May 2014, 17:38
BUGS
Post by: Armageddon on 20 May 2014, 05:15
Post by: Ponch on 20 May 2014, 05:27
Post by: Stupot on 20 May 2014, 10:44
As for topics, correct me if I'm wrong but I'm not sure if you guys have done an episode dedicated to scripting/coding. It's come up occasionally in passing but maybe there's more to be said... Or Maybe there's nothing to be said at all. You decide. I'm just interested in your thoughts on the topic, any tricks or shortcuts you've acquired, anything you like/hate about scripting. Your proudest scripting achievement. Your worst piece of code ever. Whatever really... :-)
Post by: frenzykitty on 20 May 2014, 21:09
Post by: Fitz on 23 May 2014, 08:48
Also, I listened to #43 tonight -- and I'm with you, Grundy, Photoshop 6 FTW, it's been my tool of choice since 2002 :D
Post by: Grundislav on 31 May 2014, 14:46
Writing annoying/unlikeable characters, how to decide how much of their story to tell.
Post by: Vince Twelve on 01 Jun 2014, 04:29
Post by: Chicky on 20 Jul 2014, 00:27
If you're stuck for topics it would be nice to hear one about the challenges that come with making a commercial release, press packs, promotion, non disclosure contracts -that kind of thing :)
*Edit: Didn't think that through. Sorry for raising hopes of a new episode :sealed:
Post by: selmiak on 20 Jul 2014, 01:16
Topics: Just let grundy's neighbour DJ for one whole episode or what chicky said!
Post by: Ponch on 20 Jul 2014, 02:06
and there I though yay, new episode.
Me too! For one brief moment, my hopes soared! But then they were dashed! DASHED! :cry:
Post by: Baron on 20 Jul 2014, 03:26
Me too! For one brief moment, my hopes soared! But then they were dashed! DASHED! :cry:
Like a Texan on the highway side. Wait, is this the simile writing competition? ;)
Post by: Fitz on 20 Jul 2014, 08:05
Post by: Ponch on 22 Jul 2014, 03:35
True, sadly. That motorcycle is in a million pieces now. But my broken bones have healed. But not my heart... because GrundlBen won't record a new CupCast... And Baron won't stop reopening old wounds. :wink:Me too! For one brief moment, my hopes soared! But then they were dashed! DASHED! :cry:
Like a Texan on the highway side. Wait, is this the simile writing competition? ;)
Post by: Grundislav on 26 Jul 2014, 15:26
Episode 48 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_48.mp3)
Post by: Ponch on 26 Jul 2014, 15:36
Post by: Sslaxx on 26 Jul 2014, 15:37
Hey, we're back!And wgot! (No, not a typo)
Episode 48 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_48.mp3)
Post by: Fitz on 26 Jul 2014, 18:53
But beware! My wrath will fall upon you like a rain of molten lava if don't see Episode 49 same time next week ;)
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 26 Jul 2014, 19:30
Post by: Armageddon on 26 Jul 2014, 20:15
Post by: Vince Twelve on 26 Jul 2014, 23:27
I was actually considering making a mock Podcast today where I do both of your voices.
Post by: Fitz on 26 Jul 2014, 23:27
Post by: Sslaxx on 26 Jul 2014, 23:51
AUAHGHAHAGHAHADO. IT.
I was actually considering making a mock Podcast today where I do both of your voices.
Post by: Calypso on 27 Jul 2014, 22:19
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 27 Jul 2014, 23:52
Post by: Stupot on 28 Jul 2014, 12:07
For some reason every time Grudislav said his own name I heard it as 'Princess Gorgonzolas'...
Post by: Grundislav on 28 Jul 2014, 16:55
Post by: Grundislav on 02 Aug 2014, 16:00
Post by: Grundislav on 09 Aug 2014, 14:42
Post by: Fitz on 09 Aug 2014, 15:08
Post by: Vince Twelve on 12 Aug 2014, 20:51
Congrats on 50!
Post by: Sslaxx on 12 Aug 2014, 21:01
Post by: Grundislav on 16 Aug 2014, 16:05
Post by: Vince Twelve on 16 Aug 2014, 22:37
(I kid. The tangents are an integral part of the BCT experience.)
Post by: Resulka on 20 Aug 2014, 01:00
Basically wanted to hear their tips on how to approach the implementation into AGS. Start at first playable scene or Introduction cut scenes or I dunno, crazy like the last scene of the game and build backwards....
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 20 Aug 2014, 01:10
DONE!
Post by: Grundislav on 20 Aug 2014, 01:12
Post by: Grundislav on 23 Aug 2014, 15:06
Post by: Ponch on 24 Aug 2014, 00:34
Post by: Grundislav on 30 Aug 2014, 14:14
Post by: Dave Gilbert on 02 Sep 2014, 16:15
Post by: Grundislav on 02 Sep 2014, 16:38
Post by: selmiak on 02 Sep 2014, 16:57
Post by: Grundislav on 13 Sep 2014, 14:35
Post by: Fitz on 13 Sep 2014, 22:10
Post by: jwalt on 14 Sep 2014, 13:56
Post by: Grundislav on 20 Sep 2014, 16:30
Post by: Fitz on 21 Sep 2014, 18:55
And you should invite Ponch. He's your number one fan. And then, next week, the next obvious, natural and logical step would be to invite your Biggest Fan No 2!
Post by: Adeel on 21 Sep 2014, 19:12
And you should invite Ponch. He's your number one fan. And then, next week, the next obvious, natural and logical step would be to invite your Biggest Fan No 2!
I agree that both Ponch and Fitz should be invited and interviewed. I don't follow these podcasts but I'll make sure to listen to the ones where Ponch and Fitz are interviewed.
Post by: Retro Wolf on 21 Sep 2014, 19:27
Post by: Fitz on 21 Sep 2014, 19:40
But first, an episode with Ponch's -- a video podcast special, just so that we could see him gettin' jiggy with it in a cow costume.
Post by: Ponch on 21 Sep 2014, 19:42
Post by: Fitz on 22 Sep 2014, 06:42
Or didn't we?
Post by: Grundislav on 27 Sep 2014, 21:11
Post by: Fitz on 27 Sep 2014, 21:45
Post by: Ponch on 27 Sep 2014, 21:59
Post by: Jonathan Wedge on 27 Sep 2014, 22:56
@Retro Wolf: I'll stand here and wait patiently in line for my turn if my name is in the cards. :wink:
Post by: Ponch on 27 Sep 2014, 23:07
(https://warosu.org/data/tg/img/0289/67/1387492215828.gif)
Post by: Stupot on 28 Sep 2014, 02:50
https://twitter.com/mcfunkypants/status/515910874851475456
I'm gonna try to bear this in mind for my new project, but I'm not really sure how easily it applies to adventure games. In our genre, it's normal to put it together one room or section at a time, so that some bits get finished before you've even started building other parts.
Post by: Ponch on 28 Sep 2014, 05:15
I am shocked and appalled that Icey wasn't interviewed in this otherwise riveting episode!!1!I completely agree, Stu. (nod) ;)
Post by: selmiak on 28 Sep 2014, 06:03
what was this all about? OH, wait, i like it anyways ;-D
Post by: Stupot on 28 Sep 2014, 07:48
I couldn't have said it better myself :-DI am shocked and appalled that Icey wasn't interviewed in this otherwise riveting episode!!1!I completely agree, Stu. (nod) ;)
Post by: Ponch on 28 Sep 2014, 16:39
Woah, Stu. Settle down. I understand that you're upset. We all are. I don't know why GrundlBen have turned their back on us, their loyal audience, but that's no excuse for using words that the spellchecker doesn't recognize (i.e. "listenership"). All we can do is hope that Grundy and Ben will stop doing rails of coke off the rump end of their prostitute pile in their gilded NYC penthouse long enough to realize that their audience is outside with pitchforks and torches (unlit... so far). This can still be resolved peacefully... I hope. ;)Why do Ben and Grundy continue to ignore their listenership like this?! It's an outrage! Is it time to consider a boycott of the podcast? #CupGateI am shocked and appalled that Icey wasn't interviewed in this otherwise riveting episode!!1!I completely agree, Stu. (nod) ;)
Post by: Grundislav on 04 Oct 2014, 14:38
Post by: Ponch on 04 Oct 2014, 16:52
EDIT: For one, brief, shining moment, I thought a DeliverRants was afoot... But sadly, no. :cry:
Post by: Armageddon on 04 Oct 2014, 23:56
I think my problem is I don't want to do something small/inconsequential. I want something that has a point to it/a vision.
Still not sure what to do but you guys brought up a lot of good questions.
Post by: jwalt on 10 Oct 2014, 17:49
Good podcast for me. I just finished my first game recently
Not to derail the thread, but where did you put your game? I'd like to take a look.
Post by: Fitz on 10 Oct 2014, 20:48
(and keeping my fingers crossed that this installment contains an interview with a certain someone!) :=>
Wouldn't count on in the upcoming episode, either. Given the recent premiere of A Golden Wake, they're pretty much bound to invite Grundislav.
Oh, wait...
;)
Good episode, indeed. I'm having a hard time taking up big projects these days. Gray took me 2 years and 3 months -- and while it didn't feel that long in retrospect, it is a crazy amount of time to plan into the future. So I've only done little things since -- both of them for MAGS. I do enjoy the process, though. Still doing all the things by myself, so when I'm bored with animating, I just skip to writing dialogue or scripting. Same with comics. The one thing I somehow lost passion for is writing prose -- the ideas are there, oh so many ideas, but I'm paralyzed by the thought of just sitting there STARING AT THE SCREEN for hours, tapping away. I wish there were a way to make it feel more organic. Not pen and paper, I'm too chaotic and I want to be able to rewrite things without making too much of a mess. So I'm sitting and waiting for an e-ink typewriter.
Post by: Ponch on 11 Oct 2014, 01:31
(and keeping my fingers crossed that this installment contains an interview with a certain someone!) :=>
Wouldn't count on in the upcoming episode, either. Given the recent premiere of A Golden Wake, they're pretty much bound to invite Grundislav.
Are you insinuating that Grundislav would use his connections to land a sweet interview on the most popular AGS podcast on iTunes? Surely he would not abuse the privileges of the Bromance like that! Gosh! Maybe those gamer gate fellows are on to something when they talk about indie devs
Post by: Armageddon on 11 Oct 2014, 09:39
It's actually a mod, not a game. But it mods a free to download engine branch. http://www.moddb.com/mods/keys
Good podcast for me. I just finished my first game recently
Not to derail the thread, but where did you put your game? I'd like to take a look.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 13 Oct 2014, 01:42
Good podcast for me. I just finished my first game recently and I'm having trouble starting something new. Now that I know the time commitment and how unhappy I am with my skills and the finished product. I'm just not sure if it's worth it, I have game ideas but they are more ambitious and I'm haaving a hard time developing my skills and becoming more confident. So I just sit around and do nothing. And then I feel bad for not doing anything so I get anxious and I can't think of what to do when I get anxious and it's just digging a hole. :(
I think my problem is I don't want to do something small/inconsequential. I want something that has a point to it/a vision.
I would say this is the hard part of being a new developer, when your ambition outweighs your ability, but in my experience that really doesn't go away. I still have more ambition than I do skill, and I have to keep that in check all the time, and tell myself to work within acceptable limits, even if it's just a game I'm being paid to do art for. Finding the balance is both hard and necessary, but working within those self-imposed limits can often be a good thing, and force you to make things good in more creative ways than just pure skill. Or something.
So I'm sitting and waiting for an e-ink typewriter.
I want this. :cheesy:
Post by: Fitz on 14 Oct 2014, 17:06
I want this. :cheesy:
Sadly, it doesn't seem like there's going to be one anytime soon. E-ink reader's -- oh yes! But why in the world would Amazon add a keyboard to it so that you could use it for writing? Who would ever want that? (roll) As usual, you can count on crafty post-Soviet folks to hack the thing and turn it into a little typewriter (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3Ufpy7fuaY) -- but it's still far from perfect. I'm afraid we'll see bionic eyes go on sale sooner than we'll get a proper eye-friendly e-ink tablet. Oh well...
Post by: Grundislav on 31 Oct 2014, 19:54
Post by: Armageddon on 01 Nov 2014, 00:52
Post by: [delete} on 01 Nov 2014, 03:30
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 01 Nov 2014, 04:48
I'm gonna go floss now.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 02 Nov 2014, 13:45
I enjoyed listening to your last BlueCupTools Podcast 58 about 'A Golden Wake'! :)
(http://i5.minus.com/ip0TV64dxmJUm.png)
Ben Francisco
You drew me to be more beautiful than I'll ever be in real life. :cheesy:
Post by: Grundislav on 02 Nov 2014, 17:14
Post by: Ponch on 02 Nov 2014, 23:50
I enjoy how I'm contorting away in disgust at Ben's blue cup offering :DThat's because he looks like he's a smelly homeless person asking if you have any change. He claims he'll use the money to buy a ratty pair of hobo shoes, but we both know he'll just spend it all on sweets for his sweets tin (which is hobo code talk for a half-gallon of cheap chocolate liqueur). :=
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 02 Nov 2014, 23:53
That's because he looks like he's a smelly homeless person asking if you have any change.
Ridiculous; I am entirely aware that Grundislav is a Luddite and, as such, cannot tolerate even the notion of change. :=
Post by: Ponch on 02 Nov 2014, 23:54
:cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy:That's because he looks like he's a smelly homeless person asking if you have any change.
Ridiculous; I am entirely aware that Grundislav is a Luddite and, as such, cannot tolerate even the notion of change. :=
Post by: Grundislav on 08 Nov 2014, 15:46
Post by: yamipanda on 09 Nov 2014, 12:22
Gilbert Gottfried reads 50 Shades is the most unsexy thing on the internet.
Post by: selmiak on 09 Nov 2014, 13:10
fun to listen to the new episode of the blue potty tools podcast, it's great how you manage to stay totally focused all the time ;)
Post by: Ponch on 09 Nov 2014, 16:10
Post by: Armageddon on 10 Nov 2014, 00:53
Post by: Fitz on 10 Nov 2014, 06:45
Also, Inspector Wadjet sounds like an idea for a Blackwell spin-off! Go go Wadjet Eye!
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 10 Nov 2014, 07:56
Gilbert Gottfried reads 50 Shades is the most unsexy thing on the internet.
Oh gosh.
Also, Inspector Wadjet sounds like an idea for a Blackwell spin-off! Go go Wadjet Eye!
I've suggested this to Dave before. He always thinks I'm joking, for some reason.
Post by: yamipanda on 10 Nov 2014, 12:53
Post by: Dave Gilbert on 10 Nov 2014, 15:41
Post by: Ponch on 11 Nov 2014, 18:49
I feel the topic of this podcast warrants a revisit with all the off-track toilet talk. :-D
The Blue Cup Tools Podcast has now become my favorite podcast to listen to on the toilet. Thanks guys! :cheesy:
Post by: Grundislav on 15 Nov 2014, 17:49
Post by: David Ostman on 15 Nov 2014, 21:24
Post by: Stupot on 16 Nov 2014, 01:55
This American LifeI don't listen to this but I have been listening to Serial, which is made by the same people or something. Do you listen to that? It's without doubt my new favourite podcast, just ahead of BCT in second :-P
Post by: David Ostman on 16 Nov 2014, 09:32
Still Untitled: The Adam Savage Project is another podcast I enjoy, when they aren't doing consecutive spoilercasts of things I haven't yet watched/read :tongue:
Now I must listen to latest BCT again as I fell asleep listening to it the first time. I only remember some brief talk of Baldur's Gate before descending into oblivion!
Post by: David Ostman on 22 Nov 2014, 13:49
(for those relying on this forum thread to get updates)
Post by: Stupot on 22 Nov 2014, 14:22
One thing I keep meaning to ask. For all other podcasts I follow, when a new ep comes out, the red blob appears with a 1 in it to say I have one new unplated episode. Only with BCT, this never happens, even though the episode is there when I go in and look at the list. Any ideas why? It's not a problem at all, just a weird quirk.
Post by: Grundislav on 22 Nov 2014, 16:03
Post by: Grundislav on 13 Dec 2014, 12:20
Post by: Ponch on 13 Dec 2014, 20:59
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 14 Dec 2014, 04:49
Post by: Grundislav on 10 Jan 2015, 15:19
Episode 63 (http://t.co/73S722OkxZ)
Apologies in advance to MiteWiseacreLives! for the cussing :)
Post by: selmiak on 11 Jan 2015, 20:48
http://archive.org/details/softwarelibrary_msdos_games/v2
Post by: Weston_Kaunk on 12 Jan 2015, 08:52
Post by: Grundislav on 12 Jan 2015, 16:17
Post by: Ponch on 12 Jan 2015, 19:18
Post by: Ibispi on 12 Jan 2015, 22:50
I agree with you on the puzzles. I found them often illogical.
In my opinion, the strongest part is the sound: the music in particular, it's very immersive. In fact, I didn't even play all of the available episodes, since I am too busy listening to the music I copied to my computer. :=
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 21 Jan 2015, 09:20
Post by: Grundislav on 24 Jan 2015, 15:04
Post by: Fitz on 26 Jan 2015, 17:25
Post by: Calypso on 27 Jan 2015, 18:38
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 28 Jan 2015, 03:59
Calypso Starlight: Make sure you disregard all of the advice I've ever given, then. :cheesy:
Post by: Fitz on 28 Jan 2015, 08:04
Oh wait...!
And yeah, Calypso, don't listen to him. He'll tell you all the things he likes in games, you'll do a game with all of that in it -- along with everything he and Grundislav agree is bad game design -- and he'll never play that game ;)
Might do a little BCT marathon, myself, when I get out of surgery and have to lie there for a couple of hours before I go home.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 28 Jan 2015, 14:32
Good luck with the surgery!
Post by: Grundislav on 28 Jan 2015, 16:36
Good luck with your surgery, Fitz! I hope our dulcet voices help with a speedy recovery.
Post by: Fitz on 29 Jan 2015, 09:33
Post by: Grundislav on 31 Jan 2015, 16:56
Episode 65 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_65.mp3)
Post by: Mati256 on 31 Jan 2015, 21:51
I usually get really involved in a project (like learning to draw) but loose interest with time. If I manage to keep this goal, it will be interesting to see what I can draw in December and compare it with January. :-D
Post by: Jay Tholen on 02 Feb 2015, 02:21
Episode 65 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_65.mp3)
I have a topic request since you asked. :-D
I'm working on an adventure game with no text. All dialogue is handled through little animated pictograms/icons. Needless to say, puzzle design gets a little weird when you're never able to tell the player things directly. I'd like to hear about your experiences in leading the player and dropping hints in ways other than using text. How do you design environments or place characters or make other choices to point a player towards a puzzle's solution?
I'm not sure how much you can really talk about that, but I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Post by: Armageddon on 02 Feb 2015, 04:32
Post by: Fitz on 02 Feb 2015, 12:39
Here's a new one for you, Fitz!
Episode 65 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_65.mp3)
:D
I'm yet to listen to the new one, as it's my first time online since Thursday -- but you guys really helped me through the hell of the first night after the surgery. I could barely sleep from the pain, nausea and cold shivers -- so I had a LOT of time :) I think I zoned out a few times, too.
BTW, another topic suggestion: games and girlfriends! There's a thread about it in the forums already about being a husband/father and making/playing games between changing diapers or in those latenight hours when everyone's gone to bed -- but that hardly exhaust the topic. My girlfriend does frown upon my time-absorbing hobbies sometimes, but she's really supportive of my creative side. She even made me a little figurine of Gray. Plus, she IS my official Muse, the inspiration for Magenta (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=50973.0). She truly lived up to the superhero status, by the way: it was her that nursed me back to semi-health over the past weekend.
It'd also be a great opportunity to talk about your favorite gamedev couple -- the Williamses! (laugh)
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 03 Feb 2015, 23:58
Jay: Great topic suggestion, we'll definitely take this one on-board!
Armageddon: DO IT.
Fitz: Haha, every single game you play seems to have "Special thanks: Our wives and girlfriends". There's no doubt that it's hard to make time for personal stuff when you're busy busy busy on a game, and hard to make time for games when you're busy busy busy with loved ones. As for talking about the Williams family: tee hee :wink:
Post by: Daniel Thomas on 06 Feb 2015, 22:13
You guys mentioned APT, so let me help out. :)
APT uses it's own custom made engine and editor now. The art isn't the bottle neck though, so we can't blame the resolution :)
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 07 Feb 2015, 04:16
Post by: Grundislav on 07 Feb 2015, 19:29
Thanks for the topic suggestion, Jay Tholen!
Post by: Ponch on 10 Feb 2015, 18:40
Answers from a reliable source! Just what we like around here! :cheesy:So informative! Clearly, this is the most educational podcast on iTunes (take that, "Stuff You Missed in History Class!) :cheesy:
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 16 Feb 2015, 04:17
Post by: Grundislav on 28 Feb 2015, 13:46
Post by: Ponch on 01 Mar 2015, 01:34
Post by: Grundislav on 01 Mar 2015, 21:47
Post by: Weston_Kaunk on 02 Mar 2015, 05:50
ten minutes later
"they should have done a pair of shorts, so when you turn around they're kinda translucent so they can see your chasm."
Post by: selmiak on 02 Mar 2015, 13:54
@ben: what's that game you played? With that interesting dithering filter...
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 02 Mar 2015, 16:36
"Listeners, I know your a bunch of filthy perverts, but it's not all about sex."
ten minutes later
"they should have done a pair of shorts, so when you turn around they're kinda translucent so they can see your chasm."
That's how we know you're a bunch of filthy perverts: you listen to our podcast. :cheesy:
@ben: what's that game you played? With that interesting dithering filter...
Return of the Obra Dinn! (http://dukope.itch.io/return-of-the-obra-dinn)
Post by: Fitz on 02 Mar 2015, 17:06
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 02 Mar 2015, 17:49
Post by: loominous on 05 Mar 2015, 10:15
Trailers/teasers for adventure games - With trailers playing such an important role nowadays when it comes to presenting new games to the public, it would be nice to hear some thoughts on the challenges that point n click adventure games present, especially those that lack voice packs and exciting action.
Keep up the good work!
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 05 Mar 2015, 20:58
Post by: Grundislav on 07 Mar 2015, 18:00
Post by: Armageddon on 08 Mar 2015, 05:25
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 08 Mar 2015, 14:04
Post by: Grundislav on 14 Mar 2015, 14:29
Post by: Azure on 14 Mar 2015, 16:06
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 15 Mar 2015, 06:21
Post by: Armageddon on 15 Mar 2015, 10:05
Post by: [delete} on 15 Mar 2015, 14:28
Post by: Sslaxx on 15 Mar 2015, 15:41
Now I'm confused − Prof. Moriarty follows you on Twitter, Grundislav plays all of a sudden LucasFilm games in ScummVM... What does all that mean ???The times and tastes, they are a-changin'...
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 15 Mar 2015, 21:50
As for the Prof. Moriarty thing, I don't think anybody knows what it means at this point. :cheesy:
Post by: straydogstrut on 15 Mar 2015, 23:29
Good god I'd kill for a Wadjet Eye Dresden game :shocked:
This, oh hell yes, this!
Great podcast as always guys - keep the humour in the workplace ;)
Post by: Stupot on 16 Mar 2015, 03:01
Now I'm confused − Prof. Moriarty follows you on Twitter, Grundislav plays all of a sudden LucasFilm games in ScummVM... What does all that mean ???The times and tastes, they are a-changin'...
I haven't got a thread of a clue as to what you could be on about.
Post by: Grundislav on 16 Mar 2015, 03:26
Post by: LeafThief on 17 Mar 2015, 01:24
And congrats on the Moriarty-mention, didn't catch that one on Twitter.
Keep it up guys!
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 18 Mar 2015, 22:34
Loom sequel 8-0 :-D
Then I got the rest of the story :~(
Maybe I should go eat a bowl of ice-cream while I finish sobbing....
Post by: Monsieur OUXX on 19 Mar 2015, 09:01
Post by: Calypso on 19 Mar 2015, 15:22
Post by: Armageddon on 21 Mar 2015, 05:28
http://www.gog.com/game/zak_mckracken_and_the_alien_mindbenders
Granted, it's not the original art. But it's still worth playing. :-D
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 21 Mar 2015, 07:44
Post by: Kasander on 21 Mar 2015, 23:56
@Ben, props for pimping Torment and Omikron among others. That forgotten child of David Cage never got enough love.
Post by: Ponch on 22 Mar 2015, 00:51
Am I the only one who misses DeliveRANTS?No, sir. You are not. I miss DeliveRANTS and Spaceman (In Space). :cry:
Post by: Kasander on 22 Mar 2015, 02:17
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 22 Mar 2015, 02:34
http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=47030.0 (http://www.adventuregamestudio.co.uk/forums/index.php?topic=47030.0)
Post by: Kasander on 22 Mar 2015, 02:46
EDIT: Nevermind, I've checked the dates. The hen was first.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 22 Mar 2015, 05:51
Post by: Grundislav on 22 Mar 2015, 13:31
You farm people are all the same :angry:
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 22 Mar 2015, 13:49
Post by: Ponch on 24 Mar 2015, 03:05
Oh yes, the egg came after we'd finished doing the chicken and poor Ponch was heartbroken. This was our way of easing the pain. :cheesy:I'm still clinging desperately to a tattered shred of hope that you guys will surprise me with a new Spaceman (In Space) installment on of these days... My birthday, perhaps? Or Christmas? Or Arbor Day? I get my hopes up every time there's a new podcast uploaded. One day, my tireless devotion will all be worth it. I just know it! :smiley:
Post by: Kasander on 25 Mar 2015, 22:14
Until then... (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcjzHMhBtf0)
Post by: Armageddon on 30 Mar 2015, 03:14
Post by: Grundislav on 30 Mar 2015, 03:33
Post by: Stupot on 30 Mar 2015, 03:45
We should be back next week, and I promise we'll have some very special episodes coming soon!(https://tctechcrunch2011.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/facebook-like-icon.png)
Post by: AnasAbdin on 30 Mar 2015, 14:41
As some may have noticed that I changed Epoch's project name to Tardigrades, it was a very hard decision to make specially that the old name got attention and all the previous promos, logos, articles are still using the old title. So I was thinking, what is the best way you guys think one should handle changes? Whether it's the title, the main character, names, even the art style maybe, story... etc
Thanks :)
Post by: Ponch on 30 Mar 2015, 22:40
We should be back next week, and I promise we'll have some very special episodes coming soon!Very special? How special? New episodes of Spaceman (In Space) special?! :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy:
Post by: Grundislav on 04 Apr 2015, 15:37
Promoting your game (thanks loominous for the topic suggestion)
Post by: Fitz on 04 Apr 2015, 18:09
Also: I GOT MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST! WOOHOOOO!!!
And for everyone wondering what the connection between bunnies and Easter is - Grundy's right, it is a symbol borrowed from the pagans. But there's more. Pliny, who lived around the same time that Jesus did, believed bunnies to be hermaphrodites -- and, as such, able to self-impregnate. No coitus + babies = immaculate conception!
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 18 Apr 2015, 12:25
Episode 71 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_71.mp3)
Thanks to AnasAbdin for the topic suggestion!
Post by: AnasAbdin on 18 Apr 2015, 14:07
And Wow! Finally someone pronounced my name perfectly and didn't make that stinky pun (laugh) (laugh) :P
Post by: xenogia on 19 Apr 2015, 07:03
Post by: Vince Twelve on 22 Apr 2015, 19:10
Post by: Sslaxx on 22 Apr 2015, 21:36
Since I mostly listen to the podcast while working in the yard, I've fallen way behind over the winter. If I jump back in at the latest episode, will I be be able to understand the complicated plot? Or should I go back and listen to all the episodes I've missed? No spoilers, please.
I cannot resist giving you this one!
Post by: Trafflesby on 26 Apr 2015, 07:10
Seriously though, you've taught me a lot after half a dozen episodes (that I've listened to so far!) and just listening to your discussions make me think about things in different ways.
Keep up the good work.
Post by: Grundislav on 28 Apr 2015, 23:08
Post by: Armageddon on 29 Apr 2015, 04:46
I replay games a lot. It's like going back to a great movie. There's something new to find each time. The story or world changes every time you look at it. The game ages with you, you know? They also inspire, and make you want to make something just as good or better. Also playing so many bad games can get old, so revisiting what made you inspired is pretty great.
Post by: Fitz on 29 Apr 2015, 14:11
As for replaying old games -- I don't do that very often. Too many games to play (old and new), too little time. BUT I did replay both Little Big Adventure games last year -- and I got Sam & Max, Monkey Island and Fate of Atlantis on GOG the other week. Funny thing: right around this time 20 years ago was the first time I played Indy -- and it's one game that I've re-played the most, a couple dozen of times. Mainly because, as a newb to the wonders of PC gaming, I wasn't aware of this miraculous thing called "SAVEGAME" -- and so, for about a month or so, I started the game from scratch every single day (laugh)
Post by: Grundislav on 30 Apr 2015, 15:26
Post by: Kasander on 30 Apr 2015, 15:40
Post by: Lasca on 30 Apr 2015, 16:17
Or maybe it's just the hair creating an illusion. ;)
Post by: Fitz on 30 Apr 2015, 16:40
Post by: Kasander on 30 Apr 2015, 17:12
Post by: Fitz on 30 Apr 2015, 17:24
Post by: Lasca on 30 Apr 2015, 17:56
Post by: Grundislav on 01 May 2015, 00:19
Post by: kelseyr713 on 01 May 2015, 14:31
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 01 May 2015, 16:41
Post by: selmiak on 01 May 2015, 18:57
Post by: Grundislav on 09 May 2015, 14:09
Working outside your comfort zone.
Post by: Fitz on 09 May 2015, 17:40
As for "thingamajig" -- The first time I heard the word was from my Australian friend, so I actually thought it might be Australian slang.
And Francisco, I sent you that pm prior to listening to the podcast. Didn't think you'd actually remember. Nevertheless, what I said in the message still stands ;)
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 10 May 2015, 07:30
Sounds so tasty ;-D or it could be something painful ??? (Is Grandmother violent at all?)
The bro-mance continues...
Post by: Grundislav on 16 May 2015, 15:05
Post by: Armageddon on 17 May 2015, 02:31
Good talk this week. Also I disagree with the LA Noire sentiment. I missed a lot of evidence and even failed cases and it changed quite a lot of dialogue. A lot of stuff changed the second time I played. I think it's a fantastically designed system. Each case is its own self-contained narrative and depending on the way the case turns out it will determine how the first 10ish minutes of the next case is told.
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 17 May 2015, 15:14
I wonder though how you feel about the hard puzzle/easy puzzle/hard puzzle/medium puzzle flow relates to pacing, should you devote a lot of planning time to this (then build the story around that)?
Post by: Grundislav on 06 Jun 2015, 15:28
Endings!
Post by: straydogstrut on 09 Jun 2015, 20:09
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CHFIGMiXAAEZNoo.jpg)
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 10 Jun 2015, 07:10
Post by: Grundislav on 20 Jun 2015, 15:07
Post by: Stupot on 21 Jun 2015, 05:48
Despite having just said all that, my game Power Nap does actually have a choice which affects the end of the game, but you don't know it until you get to the end and are told which ending you got. The game is short enough that the player can try again for the other ending if they really want to, but once the player is aware that the particular choice gives you a particular path or ending, it's no longer worth having the choice at all, in my opinion.
Post by: Armageddon on 21 Jun 2015, 07:39
The Dig was fantastic and my favorite adventure game. The only problem is that ending. The whole game's moral is, reversing death is bad, playing with life is bad, you can't be sure the person coming back is the same consciousness. But then they cop out on the ending and bring everyone back, oh well haha.
Also Dreamfall Chapters is incredibly boring. The UI is awful and unintuitive and walking is slow and dialogue is poorly written. Graphics and character models are wonderful though.
Post by: Ponch on 21 Jun 2015, 15:43
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 21 Jun 2015, 18:54
I find the little choices in games fun.. even if it makes only immediate small results it's entertaining.
Let me definitively settle the debate on the background of Crankosaurus Prime:
.Post by: ThreeOhFour on 21 Jun 2015, 19:02
TAKE THAT MOTHERFUCKER I LOVE BEING RIGHT ABOUT THINGS
okay you can keep reading now
Post by: Grundislav on 22 Jun 2015, 00:07
Post by: selmiak on 22 Jun 2015, 00:21
Post by: Ponch on 22 Jun 2015, 01:29
Let me definitively settle the debate on the background of Crankosaurus Prime:At last the truth comes out! Finally. I was so tired of living a lie. :=
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 22 Jun 2015, 01:51
Isn't it just great how the Blue Cup Tools podcast not only brings us entertainment but healing as well.Let me definitively settle the debate on the background of Crankosaurus Prime:At last the truth comes out! Finally. I was so tired of living a lie. :=
Paying people off to agree with you is a new low, Ben.Well, everyone but Grundislav (wrong)
Post by: Ponch on 22 Jun 2015, 04:53
Post by: Grundislav on 27 Jun 2015, 16:18
Post by: Ibispi on 27 Jun 2015, 17:59
It is because certain games set standards. Adventure games were never popular enough to set standards, instead those were action and arcade games. Games like Super Mario, Doom and others. I don't belong to the generation who played these games, so this was a bit difficult for me to understand, but - it is the successful hits that shape the views of people to what they like and they consider fun.
Today flashy, action games, with a lot of things happening are fun.
Now, with Minecraft being a big hit, and affecting the new generation of gamers, it will set new standards. Sandbox games, or games where creativity and imagination are mechanics of the game will be what is considered fun. (I recommend this video by Extra Credits
)
But then again there is the obvious thing that there are people who grew up with specific types of games. There are people who didn't play those flashy games, but adventure games instead, so we have this community. So, I think, the reason why those games like Gone Home are put aside as just "walking simulators" is mostly because there is not enough people that have played these kind of games, and people are just not ready to accept new things.
It's all kind of complicated, I could be terribly wrong.
Post by: Armageddon on 28 Jun 2015, 05:55
Also while I really hate The Walking Dead and all the new Telltale games (besides Puzzle Agent) I don't get what you mean by you can make a bad decision and have to go back and change it. Maybe if it's your goal to get a certain outcome, sure. But the joy people seem to find in those games is that they have to live with their choices no matter what, it's a roleplaying experience for them.
I think the problem with death in adventure games is that there's no consequences. The room reloads and you try again. Whereas in an RPG you maybe lose a ton of random loot. Or in an FPS you lose your progress and have to kill a bunch of enemies again even after an almost perfect run where you died at the end. But an adventure game relies on immersion and for the story to feel good and have weight there needs to be consequences for characters. You dying and reloading isn't frustrating, it just breaks the immersion.
Post by: Ponch on 28 Jun 2015, 16:03
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 29 Jun 2015, 01:00
Also it makes me sad when people try to put games/art into boxes. Just let stuff stand on it's own you know?
The intent is not really compartmentalization, more the grouping of like pieces in order to analyze and compare different approaches to the medium, and also differences within similar takes on an approach.
Post by: Grundislav on 12 Jul 2015, 21:44
Post by: Ponch on 13 Jul 2015, 15:22
2) See a new update from Grumpislav in the CupCast thread
3) Become uncontrollably excited
4) Run out of the workplace screaming "I have to go home! My cat is on fire!!"
5) Drive home at top speed, honking horn, swerving wildly, ignoring all stoplights and yield signs.
6) Slide into driveway, leave the engine running and the door open, no time to waste!
7) Enter house through broken window (house keys are still dangling in the ignition of the car)
8) Sprint through house, knocking over furniture and leaving bits of glass from broken kitchen window in my wake.
9) Fire up computer. Click this thread to download the new CupCast...
10) Horrible, unspeakable disappointment. :cry:
Post by: Grundislav on 14 Jul 2015, 05:56
Post by: selmiak on 14 Jul 2015, 11:50
Post by: Ponch on 14 Jul 2015, 15:08
Are you saying I'm not good enough for you, Ponch? :~(You've never played a Barn Runner game. I think you know the answer. ;)
Also, podcast soon plz kthxbai. (nod)
Post by: Grundislav on 25 Jul 2015, 15:25
You're welcome, Ponch :=
Post by: Ponch on 25 Jul 2015, 18:01
Episode 78 (http://t.co/Ub7Ru3lHC9)Excellent! Downloading now! I hope Ben talks about his massive firearms collection again! :cheesy:
You're welcome, Ponch :=
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 25 Jul 2015, 20:39
Post by: Ponch on 26 Jul 2015, 02:58
Though, for the record, I was home and ready for bed by 10:53 pm. :embarrassed:
Post by: Fitz on 26 Jul 2015, 08:34
As luck would have it, I replayed Fate of Atlantis just the other week, as well -- and agree about the Atlantis part. It's downright depressive: the color scheme, the music, navigating back and forth and back again between the samey rooms, all while dodging the nazis... What it was was one long key puzzle, which is my least favorite thing in adventure games (though, strangely enough, getting the stone keys' arrangement right was fun). Granted, in a game about an archeologist there's obviously going to be a lot of exploring to be done in dark depressive places -- but I liked the action and human interactions so much more.
Same reason why City was probably my last encounter with the Arkham franchise. It's just so dreary -- and so brown. And you can never just waltz in through the front door. No, you go round the back and sneak in through the basement window. And just when you think your caution gave you some advantage -- someone pulls a barrel of V out of their ass and kicks your butt. Paraphrasing the famous catchphrase -- "I'M BUTTMAN!" And those underground ruins... and sewers... Ugh... I love Batman -- but I guess I'll stick to the comics.
I guess what ultimately ruined "tomb raiding" for me was Far Cry 3 -- which was an insanely fun game as long as it let me play outdoors. But there's this dude that holds your friend captive and he'll let him go only if you get him this one thing from the ruins... and then this other thing... and another... "Oh, thanks! But I changed my mind and decided to kill you and your friend."
So now I stick to colorful games with lots of human interactions and dialogue -- such as Hotline Miami (laugh)
Post by: Stupot on 27 Jul 2015, 05:43
Post by: Amayirot Akago on 28 Jul 2015, 09:46
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57502026/bluecuptools.mp3
Post by: AnasAbdin on 28 Jul 2015, 09:50
So I was bored, had a random idea, and decided to make this little musical tribute to the podcast based on the Steven Universe theme. I am so sorry.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/57502026/bluecuptools.mp3
This should be played at the end of the next podcast ;-D
Post by: Fitz on 28 Jul 2015, 15:19
Post by: Amayirot Akago on 28 Jul 2015, 19:13
I second that! If everyone casually did something like this when they're bored, the world would be so much more awesome.That is one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me :D Thanks.
Post by: selmiak on 29 Jul 2015, 02:30
@beecityunderscorepodcast:
thanks for your insights on this interesting topic. Imho characters should either just ramble, and then very long until you realize, that's not important, you have nothing important to say. If they are important to the plot transport the info you need to solve a puzzle or know what item(combination) they want in twitter length and let them have some ramble topics too. To give them character and not just a use for that puzzle. don't hide clues in long sentences. Spit out that clue, make it cryptic if you want to paralyze the player and then ramble around it in the next sentence.
shardlight sounds more and more intersting. I won't be surprised by that mother npc anymore, but I was wondering if they have some magic in that world. Do they pay with glowing shards that are shardlights? Will you throw some urianium flavoured shards into the box for the game? As collectables or to pay for milk in that world. I don't know. But I'd be interested in your opinions on stuff in the box besides the disc. maps, copy protection, that one item that saves the world cast in plastic or marble, other gameworld enhancing stuff... but this is probably not a podcasty topic in 2015, more like for a nostalgia podcast :P
Post by: Grundislav on 05 Sep 2015, 15:21
Post by: Fitz on 05 Sep 2015, 17:07
Post by: Amayirot Akago on 05 Sep 2015, 21:28
Post by: Quintaros on 06 Sep 2015, 00:35
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 06 Sep 2015, 02:04
Post by: Grundislav on 06 Sep 2015, 02:11
Post by: Ponch on 06 Sep 2015, 03:56
Post by: Grundislav on 03 Oct 2015, 15:56
Post by: Ponch on 03 Oct 2015, 18:47
Episode 80 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_80.mp3)!To the Ponchmobile! :cheesy:
(http://www.barnrunner.com/pics/misc/RacingCow.gif)
Post by: Andail on 05 Oct 2015, 17:38
However I think developers have moved away from puzzle-heavy, inventory-dense game designs for quite some time now. Most of the recent big titles have featured mostly cinematics, cut-scenes and a focus on atmosphere and characterisation.
I played Walking Dead and was surprised to see that most of the gameplay was reduced to making decisions such as answering yes or no every now and then, which in the end turned out not to alter the game very much anyways. But players thought it was a great adventure game, so that's what people want these days - to never get stuck.
Post by: David Ostman on 05 Oct 2015, 21:26
That said, puzzles were never the main attraction for me strangely enough. I always enjoyed the storytelling, the graphics, the dialogues, the settings and atmosphere more, so I think on a personal level I feel as if the games of today are more geared towards David of today :)
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 05 Oct 2015, 21:54
I think the answer might lie in medium difficulty puzzles and crap loads of interactivity, things to look at and interact with (also a pleasant distraction when stuck).
Good podcast, I still love the batmobile (hate it when they turn it into a tank) and I think the Arkham games are kinda just glorious button mashers.
Post by: David Ostman on 24 Oct 2015, 22:46
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 25 Oct 2015, 03:16
Post by: Grundislav on 25 Oct 2015, 03:32
Post by: David Ostman on 25 Oct 2015, 13:18
Post by: Grundislav on 31 Oct 2015, 17:00
I beat you, David Ostman! :=
Post by: Sslaxx on 31 Oct 2015, 17:09
Episode 82 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_82.mp3)What with?
I beat you, David Ostman! :=
Post by: Ponch on 31 Oct 2015, 18:20
Post by: David Ostman on 01 Nov 2015, 11:15
Episode 82 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_82.mp3)
I beat you, David Ostman! :=
NoooooooooooooooOOoooOoooooooooo! 8-0
Episode 82 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_82.mp3)What with?
I beat you, David Ostman! :=
Twice I've posted the new episode here before Grundislav did :-D
Post by: David Ostman on 21 Nov 2015, 17:07
Post by: Grundislav on 21 Nov 2015, 20:05
Post by: Amayirot Akago on 22 Nov 2015, 11:47
That aside, another smashing episode with some thought-provoking discussions :) Always fun to hear from Dave.
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 22 Nov 2015, 19:08
That aside, another smashing episode with some thought-provoking discussions :) Always fun to hear from Dave.Agreed, Dave is great...
Post by: Fitz on 22 Nov 2015, 20:15
Good show -- and Dave's always fun to listen to. Akago is right, though. Many superheroes are easy to dismiss as uninteresting. For instance, I had my reservations about Ant-Man -- and it turned out to be a fun flick. But it does take some imagination to do these superheroes justice, especially the biggest names. I pray for someone to realize Spider-Man would do best as a tv series.
Post by: SilverSpook on 22 Nov 2015, 23:57
On the topic of audience expectations of adventure games, and the stereotype that p-n-c adventures are generally a series of silly puzzles- I do tend to agree with Grundislav that the gaming market of the pre-2000's had a very different set of expectations of games. Games were things that had "gameplay", that you blew $20 at at the arcade after homework (or while skipping homework), were centerpieces for sleepovers, and mom made eggs and waffles the next day when you woke up at 11:00 PM cause you were binging on that Final Fantasy RPG or swearing at each other over Golden Eye, or getting the shit scared out of you by Resident Evil.
Games were things you played. Games were for fun. Being too much a gamer "nerd" was generally frowned upon and could get you swirlied.
If you wanted a serious story you read a book. Or watched a movie, maybe. That was just the cultural millieu of the time, at least I saw it.
It's true that a lot of the adventure games had great storylines, and a lot of players played for the stories, but by and large they were story LINES. The armature set up that the designers put the "meat" on, the meat being the gameplay.
It seems to me to be a recent development that games exist as delivery mechanisms for stories. It's telling there are adventure games nowadays that get labeled, by both creators and players, as "interactive novels", "visual novels" or "interactive fiction". Point-And-Click Adventures PERIOD. Dropping the "game". This wasn't a thing 20, 30 years ago, as far as I know.
It would seem an outgrowth of the ubiquity of gaming, and computers in general, such that staring at screens hitting buttons all the time is not something you get swirlied for, but everyone from prom queens to jocks to successful businessmen/women and even novelists and filmmakers do to exist in modern civilization. (William Gibson would call it the "eversion of cyberspace").
It's not Warner Brothers, Marvel, the President or the Pope who has the most subscribers, the guy with 10 billion views is Pewdiepie, a guy who makes his living letting other people watch him play games.
So you have this mass migration to the world of games, where all the eyeballs and the billions (what is it, a hundred billion industry worldwide?) and it's only natural that a large percentage of these are people who are not into "gameplay" but love story, are writers and directors, and want to push games in that direction. So we get a lot of focus on story, story, story.
How can we tell a better story? How can we develop believable characters? Why don't certain games make me care about the characters?
I honestly couldn't have given less of a shit, and I'm guessing most people don't either, about the story of Super Mario. Fantastic game. I don't need to know how Mario is a down-on-his-luck Italian plumber who always dreamt of opening a spaghetti place, has a crush on a high town WASP debutante who loves pink, and is on a journey of self discovery in the sewers after being laid off during the Reaganomics-era downsizing. I jump on the angry vampire-mushroom thingies and throw turtle shells at Little-Shop-Of-Horrors plants and all that other Jap-Gonzo-shit that goes on in Mario because the *gameplay* is fun as hell. I don't need to care why the characters are doing the things they are doing because it is just fun to do the things. This is a turn-key argument for a whole lot of games.
Now, I say all this being a writer, as well as a game-maker. I love stories. I enter that story competition thing on the AGS forums every chance I get. I am a recovering sci-fi writer-holic.
I don't want games to not take story seriously, at all. I chose adventure games and AGS in particular, BECAUSE it lends itself to storytelling, and the audience seems more literate than the average genre. I loved every single Wadjet Eye game I can get my hands on, and can only hope to aspire to that level of quality storytelling in a game some day.
Still, I understand where the point-and-click adventure naysayers and complainers are coming from.
It's possible to just start calling all of these games "interactive visual novels", or "interactive films", but there's a reason we don't, and I think it has at least something to do with the branding that the term "game" still carries. Like you want to move products on Steam, and Steam sells "games". People type into Google and look for hashtags with "games", "adventure games", "point and click adventure games". PC Gamer and Rock-Paper-Shotgun reviews "games".
The branding, and the baggage. Like that multi-millionairess widower aunt that is a real controlling bitch who criticizes your silly indie films but who you need to butter up and beg for funding every time. Gaming is a cruel mistress.
This is getting really long, so I will now stop. :)
Thanks for the great podcast and good luck with Shardlight, etc!
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 23 Nov 2015, 05:13
It seems to me to be a recent development that games exist as delivery mechanisms for stories. It's telling there are adventure games nowadays that get labeled, by both creators and players, as "interactive novels", "visual novels" or "interactive fiction". Point-And-Click Adventures PERIOD. Dropping the "game". This wasn't a thing 20, 30 years ago, as far as I know.
You may be interested to hear about some of the stuff happening back in the 80s that mirrors some of the "modern" notions we're so enamored with today. Infocom was particularly focused on the narrative aspect of computer games; see The Implementor's Creed (http://web.mit.edu/6.933/www/Fall2000/infocom/creed.html) written by Stu Galley back in 1985 and see how lofty his goals are there. See Portal: A Computer Novel (http://www.mobygames.com/game/portal) which was released the very next year for a project which is literally a novel that you "play" (for a certain definition of the term). I finished it earlier this year and can promise you it's more like a "virtual novel" than I'd ever imagined would come out of 1986 - in fact it's so much like a novel that Rob Swigart would later convert the entire game into book form. See Alter Ego (http://www.mobygames.com/game/alter-ego) for another 1986 title that steps beyond being "A game" and becomes a simulation of the narrative of a person's lifetime, with outcomes entirely decided as consequences driven by player choices. We talk about choice and consequence all the time, but rarely do you see a game so purely driven by these considerations as Alter Ego is.
So, yes, while some of these developments are "fresh" in feeling, there was incredible levels of focus on this sort of thing 30 years ago - it's just that sometimes we don't hear so much about them. Definitely worth looking at to be inspired by just how ambitious some of these designers were before I was even born.
Edit: Also, while Infocom definitely had a range of descriptions for their products, including "Computerized Fantasy Simulations" and "Prose Adventure", they were also using the term "Interactive Fiction" back in the 1980s (http://www.mobygames.com/images/covers/l/18183-a-mind-forever-voyaging-atari-st-front-cover.jpg).
Post by: SilverSpook on 23 Nov 2015, 09:50
I do remember interactive fiction being a hot thing at a certain point during the honeymoon phase of the "amazing computer" in the 80's. Around the time of virtual reality and the Power Glove as I recall.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 24 Nov 2015, 01:16
Post by: Azure on 24 Nov 2015, 13:31
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 24 Nov 2015, 20:37
Post by: Grundislav on 05 Dec 2015, 13:44
Post by: [delete} on 05 Dec 2015, 19:41
Post by: Fitz on 06 Dec 2015, 11:56
I'd be inclined to think it's just a clever strategy to get noticed. His newest game premiered just around the time mine was featured -- so what better way to draw attention to yourself than make a scene in the comment section of the hottest game of the day? ;) But then he goes: "The tutorial should be idiot proof. I got stuck on it." Funniest example of unintened self-deprecation since that chick at a grocery store I heard yell at her kid "Shut up, you little SON OF A BITCH!!!"
Oh, and then there was this one guy who first encouraged the listeners of his show to not be shy and send in their little games -- and then, a couple weeks later, went on a twenty-minute long tirade about how he just doesn't feel like playinh AGS games (laugh) And that other one, who's been planning to, for three years (roll) Fortunately, both seem more self-aware than the other guy :)
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 06 Dec 2015, 15:39
Post by: Fitz on 06 Dec 2015, 17:56
Oh, and just to clarify, Phil Fish wasn't the troll I talked about. He's weird, but talented, I actually liked Fez -- a bit flawed, but a beautiful thing, nonetheless. That dude today was just some random guy.
Post by: Ponch on 07 Dec 2015, 03:55
And since you asked, Grundy...
Post by: Grundislav on 19 Dec 2015, 14:43
Man, the front page sure is out of date...
Post by: Armageddon on 21 Dec 2015, 00:04
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 21 Dec 2015, 02:05
But wait a couple days, going to release a more playable and gooder version.
Great podcast, I also think the Double Fine documentary is good and am looking foreword to Shardlight (no doubt the work of an embarrassed crocodile!)
Post by: Ponch on 21 Dec 2015, 04:29
Post by: SilverSpook on 21 Dec 2015, 07:01
I must say I feel Ben's pain in trying to make the switch from 320x240 to 640x360 or what the new resolution is. Although not all THAT sorry since I am working in AGS 3.4 at 1360x768 :P
As for playing more DOS games, I've been trudging through System Shock but the 30+ key assortment is proving too 1337 for me. I do plan to do the yearly Christmas vacay runthrough of Doom, though!
Post by: Grundislav on 02 Jan 2016, 14:01
Post by: Ponch on 02 Jan 2016, 21:58
Seriously. I have to go lie down for a while.
Post by: Grundislav on 03 Jan 2016, 16:34
Post by: Ponch on 03 Jan 2016, 22:19
Post by: Grundislav on 16 Jan 2016, 17:55
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 19 Jan 2016, 04:34
Post by: SilverSpook on 19 Jan 2016, 04:42
I personally throw games out the window nowadays if I get stuck for more than about 5 minutes. Also, if I leave a game and come back to it like two days later, due to work / RL overload, I hate it when some key piece of information had been given JUST before the last save game. Especially if that piece of information is of the, "The current mission objective is X" variety.
Post by: Weston_Kaunk on 20 Jan 2016, 02:43
Hey, just had a thought, has anyone played with using ags to make a language teaching game? Like your character is dropped in a room and has to help someone speaking a completely different language, they're speaking fluently and gesturing at you to grab them something to fix the door panel. When you figure out what they're gesturing too and give it too them the word they've been using gets subtitles added to it and it's added to your inventory of words you can use. If you bring other objects to the person they'll teach you that word as well. Slowly building subtitles for the player underneath the foreign language that's always subtitled and voiced. You could have it in the first or second world war and have it be a soldier or someone escaping/avoiding captivity, it'd be an interesting premise as far as educational games go. And the stress of needing to communicate would add a nice tension over the regular timed "escape room/find trigger" game play. The game could make the sentence structures and words get increasingly difficult as the scenarios of avoiding the enemy get more intense(like your helper is too stressed to think of simple instructions for you to figure out, could add a difficulty setting where the closer you get to running out of time the helper could yell simpler instructions, words you already know to give you hints), with lulls of just gathering supplies and learning fun words.
Language/Educational games possible podcast topic.
Post by: Grundislav on 30 Jan 2016, 14:16
Post by: selmiak on 31 Jan 2016, 00:30
Post by: Ponch on 31 Jan 2016, 02:30
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 08 Feb 2016, 04:23
Post by: SilverSpook on 08 Feb 2016, 04:27
Post by: Ponch on 09 Feb 2016, 01:51
You'll always be in my caramel milk, though, Ponch. :=<3
I'm also available in several other delicious flavors.
(http://www.barnrunner.com/pics/misc/All_The_Flavors_Of_A_Cow.png)
Apparently, I'm incredibly tasty! :cool:
In the next episode, you guys should get into a really bigYes! Bare knuckle brawling to determine the winner! :cheesy:fightargument to increase listener counts. :)
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 09 Feb 2016, 01:56
Post by: Ponch on 09 Feb 2016, 02:02
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 09 Feb 2016, 02:16
Post by: Ponch on 09 Feb 2016, 02:42
Post by: Grundislav on 09 Feb 2016, 03:06
Post by: Ponch on 09 Feb 2016, 03:12
Post by: Stupot on 09 Feb 2016, 03:14
Post by: Ponch on 09 Feb 2016, 03:17
And how can I take a rest when interest in my special flavorings is now at an all time high! Strike while the iron is hot, sir! I have to grunt and strain and fill as many bottles as I can while I'm trending on the forums! :=
#ThatAuthenticPonchTaste
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 09 Feb 2016, 03:30
Post by: Ponch on 09 Feb 2016, 03:39
What hath god wrought! :cheesy: :grin: :cool:Fixed that for you. :=
#All_The_Flavors_Of_A_Cow
Post by: Grundislav on 27 Feb 2016, 16:23
Post by: Ponch on 29 Feb 2016, 02:48
Grundy, did you seriously eat an entire pizza by yourself? In one sitting or over a couple of days? I'm feeling bloated just thinking about it! :shocked:
Post by: Grundislav on 29 Feb 2016, 03:04
Post by: Fitz on 29 Feb 2016, 05:56
And don't worry, Grundy, no hard feelings. So many games, so little time... I've promised myself to play through my AGS backlog after finishing my latest game -- and I ended up either staying away from the puter entirely or playing Hotline Miami 2 till I don't even notice the blood anymore (wrong)
Post by: Creamy on 29 Feb 2016, 10:51
I listen to your ramblings every once in a while to improve my english and I really like it. Thanks to you, I've learnt words such as "prototyping" and "crooked crocodile".
Maybe you'd like to talk about pixel art in a future episode. How to get the most out of tiny resolutions?
Quote
"Shardlight" next Tuesday? Yassss!
Indeed :-D
Post by: Grundislav on 05 Mar 2016, 13:07
AKA "When Will Ben Update the Thread?"
Post by: Amayirot Akago on 05 Mar 2016, 20:40
Post by: Ponch on 06 Mar 2016, 04:56
Post by: Grundislav on 12 Mar 2016, 16:31
Post by: Ponch on 12 Mar 2016, 18:06
Also, I don't care for steampunk, but here's a game with that setting that I enjoyed: Clockwork Tales.
Post by: [delete} on 14 Mar 2016, 09:00
Post by: SilverSpook on 14 Mar 2016, 20:38
I definitely struggle with degree of genrefication and what hashtags I'm going to tack on to Neofeud when shooting tweets out, put in the synopsis. If you go too genre, you risk blending into the herd, but at least some people might actually take a look at your thing cause it has the word 'cyberpunk' or 'steampunk' or 'it's like Monkey Island but on Mars' or something people recognize. If you go really original, try to be an auteur and do some setting or something never done before, you either have to have CRAZY good and massive marketing and distribution to ensure that it's played by more than a handful of roarin 20's wonks, or professional economists, who *happen* to also be adventure gamers. And, the game has to be mindblowingly, literally *mindblowingly* good. You have to blow people's brain matter out of it's current configuration, and restructure their noodle to account for this brand new "Way of doing things". You do that, and people fall in love with it, you sell like crazy, become a phenomenon, a legend, get asked to all the important events, lifetime achievement awards, etc.. That's how William Gibson *created* the entire genre of cyberpunk, by blowing everyone's mind with Neuromancer, winning the Triple Crown of the Hugo, Phillip K Dick, and Nebula awards. Then Shadowrun borrowed the nuyen, the mohawks trenchcoats and 'hackboxes' and said, 'it's cyberpunk, but with elves!'
If you meet those requirements, maybe you pull a John Romero. Doom was insanely good, and ID software got the word out, and the next year, the entire genre of 1st person shooter became a thing, with copycats turning out left and right. Now you can tag stuff with, "First-person shooter, demons" or whatever and at least some people will find and play your thing. It won't be as good as Doom, but they just want more of that awesome thing they had when they were 14 or whatever. If it IS actually a good game, and does something new, that's a bonus!
Now, if you don't want to be rich and famous and have a gulfstream and all that, and you are trying to run a stable small business as an indie game dev, it seems that you would want to think like a grocery store. You want a steady supply chain bringing in nice, recognizable tomatoes. Maybe those are your nice orangey post-apocalyptic games. If your post-apocalyptic tomato is not recognizably post-apocalyptic (weird green color) then it might actually *taste* good, and it's just an heirloom, but when people are in your market, they're going to buy all the nice orangey, nuclear-apocalypse with dirt and rust and rag-swaddled protagonist tomatoes. The green and purple tomatoes might not get sold, and you need that money to keep the lights on. Then you have your nice dark, maybe a little blue-ish cyberpunk eggplants. If it's not too dark and black helicopters and missing the trenchcoats, people might leave those pale eggplants in the eggplant pile, "Wait... something is wrong with this eggplant. This cyberpunk doesn't have enough mohawks and post-industrial angsty programmers!"
In Richard K. Morgan's Market Forces the central premise of the book, which essentially involves corporate street-war where it's legal to speed, fire missiles at other cars, etc. only becomes legal because the son of someone really, really rich and important does it in a totally glorious, Fast-n-Furious way, and then what was illegal and frowned upon becomes not only legal but an entire sport and multi-billion dollar industry.
This translates, in a way, to anything that has to do with entertainment, especially in music, gaming and film. You've got to play by the genre rules, unless you're either totally awesome or totally rich or related to Warren Buffet.
Post by: Grundislav on 16 Apr 2016, 15:04
Post by: Weston_Kaunk on 16 Apr 2016, 16:20
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 18 Apr 2016, 05:53
Post by: Stupot on 18 Apr 2016, 07:26
Regarding achievements, I'm mostly with Ben, I think. Steam-style achievements do nothing for me. Give me unlockable content anytime. Maybe the next WEG game should have the dev commentary unlockable upon completing the game, or something. I loved the unlocked artwork at the end of Shardlight and wished there was more. Much more rewarding that being given a pop-up for trying some random action. Trying every combination (aka Brute-forcing) often means you are stuck, which is the opposite of achievement anyway.
Post by: Sslaxx on 18 Apr 2016, 10:08
Post by: Andail on 19 Apr 2016, 08:54
Third, it ruins immersion because of said 4th-wall breaking.
Comedy is super hard, and really funny games are exceptionally rare gems today. The problem is that too many people think they're funny - based on feedback by parents and drinking buddies - and aren't proven wrong by a broader, objective audience before it's too late - and also because when comedy isn't funny it's just aggressively worthless, as opposed to e.g. suspense, which can mostly be endured just fine even if you're not biting your nails all the time.
Whispered World and its ilk annoy me so greatly in their attempts at humour it makes my soul decay. It's lengthy, repetitious and poorly delivered. Granted, I've only ever seen let's plays of them.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 20 Apr 2016, 08:25
Some of my favourite jokes in classic adventure games involve breaking the fourth wall. Just because I haven't seen it done well in quite a while doesn't mean I don't think it's worth trying.
I don't value immersion very highly in comedy, nowhere near as much as I do in drama. Some of my favourite comics break immersion for comedy, I refer you again to Stewart Lee. Maybe you don't think he's funny, but that's fine. As always, comedy is very specific to an individual.
As always, execution matters as much as concept.
Point is: I think most people are getting upset at specific poorly implemented examples, of which there are many, but as a result of this are saying the entire concept is without worth. That is what I disagree with.
(http://i.imgur.com/rsjOLNf.jpg)
Post by: Andail on 20 Apr 2016, 09:51
There are examples of really good 4th wall breaking in both literature and film, but mostly, I'd guess, in a more surrealist, Kaufman-esque kind of setting/story. If you want to have a discussion about the boundaries between reality and fiction, or a kind of layer-upon-layer type of storytelling, be my guest. I love meta or 'mise en abyme' stuff of various genres, e.g. House of Leaves and Being John Malkovich.
I guess I just find the comedy aspect of it heavily dated. I remember in the childhood of AGS, lots and lots of games tried to be funny (because early trendsetters like Larry Vales and Rob Blanc actually were funny (the game would tell Larry Vales stuff like "you can't interact with that x, it's as feature-less as you, Larry)) but then far too many games were made that had characters telling the player to stop clicking on them, or to joke about how big their pockets must be to hold so much inventory, or "if this was a Sierra game..." etc etc.
It was funny in Spaceballs where everybody would suddenly look into the camera, but yeah, dated is the word that pops up for me.
If I sounded harsh I certainly didn't mean to dissuade anyone from having a go at being funny - my point was just that comedy that isn't funny is kind of a pain in the arse, whereas other genres tend to be more endurable even if they're not perfectly executed.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 20 Apr 2016, 10:29
Post by: Grundislav on 20 Apr 2016, 16:15
Post by: SilverSpook on 23 Apr 2016, 07:48
It's a lot easier to make some random reference, knowing someone will smile cause you dropped that name. Harder to say or do something new or meaningful with the reference. I'd say the difference is (to use a dated 90's business term) 'value added'. "What are you adding that's new?" Something like Kung Fury is pretty much 99.9% trope, but at least the jokes it makes about them are kind of 'fresh'. (Rotten Tomatoes thinks so anyway, haha.)
"Hackerman" is inspired by 80's nerd fashion and action movie "pretend-hacking" tropes, but he is a unique creation. As opposed to just ripping the 'Only Way To Win Is Not To Play' scene or quote directly from War Games, dropping it into some random scene in your thing where it makes no sense, and hoping someone will wink and chuckle, "Cause, cause WAR GAMES! LOL!" Then tropes just become grating.
I also agree that if you're going to make fun of something like, "Adventure Games have terrible forced puzzles" and then the game is full of terrible forced puzzles, that is the worst. It's like someone complaining about climate change and then commuting in a monster truck-Hummer.
Post by: David Ostman on 24 Apr 2016, 11:23
As for comedy. Wow, that's a difficult one. Different people find so many different things funny and I have probably only laughed a handful of times, like not more than five times, for real playing a game. Sure, I chuckle once in a while at something that's meant to be funny and give the game a genuine smile in recognition, but true comedy in a game? No, that's a rare, rare thing to me, and that's why I never play comedy adventure games anymore. Not just because the humour is lost on me, but also because it's just not my thing in an adventure game. They get too goofy and silly, too forced, and that's not for me at all. Give me drama, thriller, smart dialogue, good atmosphere and character development and I'll squee like a fan
Post by: Fitz on 24 Apr 2016, 22:09
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 25 Apr 2016, 01:48
Arguments that are against poor execution, rather than the form itself, are naturally acceptable, but saying 'relying on tropes' is akin to saying 'relying on devices and motifs' which is the backbone of all creative work. It seems as though 'trope' is conflated with 'cliché', which is incorrect.
Hair splitting aside, one of my favourite things is when a creative person introduces me to a clichéd idea in a manner which subverts my expectation. I agree that it's rare, which is possibly what makes it as exciting as it is. I'm saying, like others, 'If you're going to do it, do it well, and try to be original', which is about as condescending and uninstructive as I could be with my advice. Nobody tries to avoid doing things well unless we're making Oceanspirit Dennis projects again (and even then people perverted that disastrously and beautifully by making decent games with the character, which was most upsetting and wonderful).
Post by: Andail on 26 Apr 2016, 09:53
Hm.
Arguments that are against poor execution, rather than the form itself, are naturally acceptable, but saying 'relying on tropes' is akin to saying 'relying on devices and motifs' which is the backbone of all creative work. It seems as though 'trope' is conflated with 'cliché', which is incorrect.
I'd say tropes and clichés both refer to stuff that's been done so many times it's readily recognisable (unless you get your definition from TVtropes.com, in which case 'trope' means every little single thing that has ever been said or written in any work of fiction), with the difference that 'cliché' bears a distinctly negative connotation, whereas 'trope' sounds more neutral. But whatever demotes a trope into a cliché is kind of subjective, so yeah, this is borderlining hairsplitting.
I think it's perfectly valid to say that your game or story or whatever shouldn't rely entirely on tropes - arguing the oppposite, and saying that every story can be deconstructed into tropes - is like saying all books fundamentally consist of words and letters, so therefore nothing can ever be original.
That's different to saying that stories can't have tropes - now that would be a bit snobbish. Most great stories share basic story elements.
Anyhow, if my first criticism was interpreted as a direct jab at Gibbous, then apologies to Mr Underhill. I guess I assumed that the "I'm supposed to bother you, this is an adventure game" comment was more of a demo gimmick than an indication of what most of the gameplay will look like. In that case, the demo and project over all looks so stellar I think he'll survive that piece of honest feedback.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 26 Apr 2016, 10:33
I agree that 'cliché' has a negative connotation, but here we were directly referring to an apparent overuse of something and suggesting it's overdone has a negative connotation anyway.
Sorry for derailing everything entirely again.
Perhaps we should do a podcast on the use of established techniques and motifs as opposed to 'being original' seeing as there's much interest in this discussion.
EDIT: I wish to point out that I am in no way opposed to criticism of any element in any game, I just feel it should be more specific than "Don't ever do this again, I am bored of it!"
Post by: Danvzare on 26 Apr 2016, 14:50
None the less, I agree with ThreeOhFour. It seems wrong to criticize something just because it's overdone. After all, I prefer humorous adventure games, and tend to avoid the more serious ones. Humour and adventure games, tend to go hand in hand for me. I can't imagine one without the other. So hearing so many people say that humour should practically be abandoned altogether in adventure games because it's overdone, is a little jarring.
What you should be criticizing, is whether or not something is being done simply because everyone else is doing it. For example, almost every adventure game nowadays has to include a forced reference to Monkey Island. Even Tales of Monkey Island included a forced reference to Monkey Island! THAT MAKES NO SENSE!!! And yet it happened.
If you're doing something simply because everyone else is doing it. You're sacrificing originality for a pitiful attempt at gaining more popularity. Unless of course you're doing it to make fun of everyone else doing it. In which case you're making a parody. But you get what I mean.
Post by: Cassiebsg on 26 Apr 2016, 17:37
Still interesting subject. I've come to expect the character to wink at the player once in a while, but don't expect it to be a constant though. As I write my game I often do have the tendency to do that, specially when writing the "look" command... More often than not, I choose to ignore that instinct (I hope) and just go for the indirect approach.
Post by: Grundislav on 30 Apr 2016, 16:31
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 30 Apr 2016, 21:29
Post by: Weston_Kaunk on 02 May 2016, 04:26
(http://markmak.deviantart.com/art/Gravity-Falls-Map-330330850)
simple effective layout with enough detail in the scaled down versions to still show the character of the town.
Also when backgrounds indicate where walking off the corners lead to like where everything is kinda signposted, in the corners you'd have stairs or a little sign, or the image of the building off in the distance with just enough for you to keep your bearings of where you were or how to get to what room.
I kinda want to make a maze where in the maze the farther along you get the closer a tower in the background appears, like every 3 or so correct turn it looks a little closer. With little logic puzzles and riddles along the way.
Post by: SilverSpook on 02 May 2016, 08:02
So I think the take away is that, 'Everything, including the rule of 3rds and Chekhov's Gun is just another tool in the toolkit: each used when appropriate, in moderation, and to the end of producing a great game.'
Welcome to the internet, where everything is either a panacea or the Black Death, depending on which side of the polarized flame war you are on, to the end of producing rage-induced-virality, eyeball time, clickthroughs, and useless, self-obsessed, blowhard individuals.
Game Over. Insert Coin. :)
JK I like the concept of the rule of 3rds though I have never actually used it myself. I did like the part where Ben was ranting on how no matter how perfect your composition of your background is, it's gonna get thrown off when characters show up. And how the minute details that eat away at you as an artist or designer, like the slightly-too-blue backlight shading on a bookcase or something, how that stuff in all likelihood will never be noticed by players. Learning how to put the brush or the pen down and be ok with things is a hard skill to learn! Especially for someone with OCD or APD (Anal Perfectionist Disorder).
Post by: Grundislav on 07 May 2016, 16:06
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 11 May 2016, 16:59
Thanks for the podcast :)
So Grundi, you did the most the art for A Golden Wake? I thought Ben was involved.. If I don't have twitter does it mean I don't get to see any WIP's from Po-Dicky?
Post by: Grundislav on 11 May 2016, 22:06
Post by: Quintaros on 12 May 2016, 03:19
Post by: Grundislav on 12 May 2016, 05:42
Post by: Grundislav on 14 May 2016, 14:49
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 15 May 2016, 21:37
I think often that swearing and other vulgar stuff is just jarring and pulls me out of the game when it's overdone. More often than not it seems so forced, light sprinkles of this stuff is plenty I don't play games to be shocked I do it for fun.
Post by: Ponch on 16 May 2016, 06:42
Post by: Stupot on 16 May 2016, 07:05
But here's my thing. I do find it a shame that we can't play around with bad taste as much these days. We're constantly censoring ourselves, not because we think we've gone a step too far, but because we're worried that other people might think we've gone a step too far (and the consequences of that these days could cost you a few Twitter friends, to say the least). That's a shame. If you aren't offended by something but you're aware others might be, does that make you a bad person? No. It makes you a very conscientious person. It's a shame the potentially offended parties can't have the same kind of respect and acceptance that, just sometimes, bad taste makes good art, before jumping onto social media to exclaim their outrage.
Regarding some of Amy Wellard's actions.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 16 May 2016, 10:31
The first is that I think I don't mind "bad taste" as long as it's clear that in the context of the game it's not being promoted as a positive thing. For example, I cannot stand Leisure Suit Larry 5, because when I play it I feel like the people who made it are the ones making the awful jokes. This is probably because everybody in the world is in on the jokes, they all feel like this is how they always act.
One the other hand, I love Beavis & Butt-head in Virtual Stupidity, and I think that's because it's written to show "Look at these two misfits in a world full of more ordinary people, see how messed up they are."
Showing them being these awful people is funny to me, because it's clear that everybody else around them (well, not everybody, of course, but the majority) are more in line with how I feel about the world. When I play Beavis & Butt-head, I get the feeling that the two main characters are the sexists, the problematic people. When I play Leisure Suit Larry 5, I get the feeling that it's Al Lowe himself. Doesn't mean this is the truth, it's just how I feel.
With regards to the thing about Amy, I totally agree:
Post by: Danvzare on 16 May 2016, 12:25
I think often that swearing and other vulgar stuff is just jarring and pulls me out of the game when it's overdone. More often than not it seems so forced, light sprinkles of this stuff is plenty I don't play games to be shocked I do it for fun.So definitely true. The best example I can think of is the Thief series. In Thief 4, they stopped using the made up swear words (like Taffer) that had been prominent in the series up to that point, and started to use real swear words, it suddenly destroyed the charm of the series. Not only that, but the sheer quantity of swearing, kind of ruined the immersion for me as well.
Showing them being these awful people is funny to me, because it's clear that everybody else around them (well, not everybody, of course, but the majority) are more in line with how I feel about the world. When I play Beavis & Butt-head, I get the feeling that the two main characters are the sexists, the problematic people. When I play Leisure Suit Larry 5, I get the feeling that it's Al Lowe himself. Doesn't mean this is the truth, it's just how I feel.While I've never played Leisure Suit Larry 5 or Beavis & Butt-head in Virtual Stupidity (the latter of which is on my to-play list) I do completely agree with you here.
As a matter of fact, I think what you described, is what makes or breaks anything comedy related for me.
Post by: Grundislav on 16 May 2016, 15:26
Post by: Stupot on 16 May 2016, 16:09
Regarding Amy:
Post by: Sslaxx on 23 May 2016, 14:24
Post by: Grundislav on 28 May 2016, 15:47
Post by: Ponch on 28 May 2016, 20:27
Post by: AnasAbdin on 03 Jun 2016, 17:20
Topic suggestion :)
I'm constantly trying to improve backgrounds, animations.. etc.
This is done whether by changing colors, lighting, camera position or even by replacing the whole background. You know when you look at your old games you always feel you could have done things better. Well, since many of us work alone on their projects, the time span gets long enough to look at old parts of our projects and feel we must do improvements. Do you think there is a limit to this? Is it OCD-esh?
Thanks guys!
Post by: Grundislav on 25 Jun 2016, 16:31
Post by: AnasAbdin on 26 Jun 2016, 00:13
I can't explain how much I respect both of you and what you do.
Post by: SilverSpook on 07 Jul 2016, 07:51
Here's a question if you feel like answering it on your podcast: If you had the resources to fund your own small team (say 3-7 full time employees for a year) and had full creative direction of the game, no strings attached, what would you work on and why?
Post by: Ponch on 07 Jul 2016, 13:25
Here's a question if you feel like answering it on your podcast: If you had the resources to fund your own small team (say 3-7 full time employees for a year) and had full creative direction of the game, no strings attached, what would you work on and why?Besides Spaceman (In Space): Remastered, obviously. :=
Post by: Amayirot Akago on 07 Jul 2016, 14:26
Post by: Grundislav on 07 Jul 2016, 21:43
Have you got any questions for either Ben or me about our lives/careers? Post them here, and don't be afraid to go as crazy as you want. Nothing is off limits!
Post by: Ponch on 07 Jul 2016, 21:57
1) How much does Grundy weigh?
2) What is Ben's shoe size? (In freedom units, please, none of that flash-in-the-pan metric stuff)
3) Who would win in a no-holds-barred thumb wrestling contest?
4) Which of you loves your mom more?
These questions have kept me awake at night since the beginning of the podcast.
Post by: Amayirot Akago on 08 Jul 2016, 09:53
What were your favorite AGS projects to work on in the past?
Which IP would you want to make into an adventure game?
What were the hardest parts of some of your previous AGS projects and how did you overcome them?
Would you take me out to dinner sometime? :=
EDIT: One more before I forget: where did the name Grundislav come from?
Post by: Sslaxx on 08 Jul 2016, 10:06
- Are there any frustrations about the AGS community? Because no community is perfect - we all have our disagreements and bad apples, after all.
- Have you ever been bitten by issues like licenses? Thinking "Oh, I want to use this" in a game (be it a module, or an idea or anything) and then finding out something about it (like a license) that makes it impossible to use would be frustrating.
- What's the hardest scene that you ever wrote/designed/played, emotionally speaking? The stuff that's been hard to complete because it was hard on your emotions.
- What would make you switch from AGS? What would you like to come along tomorrow to make you go "Let's use this instead!"...
Post by: Stupot on 08 Jul 2016, 13:12
Post by: Stupot on 11 Jul 2016, 03:55
Post by: Cogliostro on 15 Jul 2016, 23:22
1) We are a bunch of introverts with regards to our AGS projects. Which means they can take years to complete. (Honestly, Ben is a serious exception to the rule.) I have to ask, how does one make the leap to a group production and what challenges does it entail?
2) Obviously a key aspect of a group production is successful recruitment, but in my experience recruitment works for narrowly defined requests, but it doesn't cut development time by 75%. For me, so far, it has only made the difference between music that truly fits a scene vs. Kevin MacLeod's work at incompetech.com.
3) Finally, since I'm convinced it makes a huge impact, any insights into the differences in group efforts between commercial vs. free projects?
- Cogliostro
Post by: Grundislav on 16 Jul 2016, 15:50
Post by: Grundislav on 30 Jul 2016, 17:24
Post by: Stupot on 01 Aug 2016, 01:11
However, I also said I had a massive shard-on for the game. That's a complement, right? \:grin:/
Post by: LameNick on 07 Aug 2016, 20:42
I discovered the BlueCupTools podcast just about a week ago and whenever I hear your voice Ben, I can’t help but see you as Simon Amstell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VvQITlm-Vc). So you can’t ever reveal your appearance or it will be a very confusing experience for me.
Also its sad you guys stopped doing deliverance, the one about switching layer and undoing in PS made me laugh hysterically through tears of pain. If I visited Adobe HQ wearing a dynamite belt every time that happened to me, by now, there would be no Silicon Valley just a muddy mass extinction meteor impact crater.
Anyway, I thought it to be of the utmost importance to share these thoughts with you. Looking forward to 100. Thanks and keep it up!
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 08 Aug 2016, 06:49
I think I may have been one of the people who said Shartlight. If so, I'm sorry :-\
I don't want to seem like a massively humorless arse with my rejection of that bastardization; I'm light-hearted enough to see the funny side in it, I just reject it as a legitimate criticism of the name, and there were some people who treated it as thus! No need to worry about actually offending me or anything! :cheesy:
I discovered the BlueCupTools podcast just about a week ago and whenever I hear your voice Ben, I can’t help but see you as Simon Amstell (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VvQITlm-Vc). So you can’t ever reveal your appearance or it will be a very confusing experience for me.
Whether or not I look anything like Simon Amstell is up to your imagination, but I'm definitely a fan of his work and will accept this as my new imagined appearance with grace. :=
Post by: Andail on 09 Aug 2016, 10:26
The thing with naming your game is that it's kind of hard to give general advice about it; it's one of those things that you know it's right when you hear it. Also, it seems that games with really generic titles, like Total War or Final Fantasy, don't seem to suffer immensely for being unoriginal, and weird and non-descriptive ones also generally are fine, so I'm not sure how important titles are anyway. Is there a way to ascertain that a game would have sold better had it had a better title? Not sure.
As you said, the change from God's Algorithm to Whispers of a Machine is a pretty big change, but it was like a bandaid that had to ripped off quickly - the longer we'd hesitate, the harder would it be to change it. In terms of actual title power - originality etc - the former might be stronger, but it also is less relevant to the actual game, so, yeah.
The trick to subtly include the title - or a reference to it - in your game can be cool, but sometimes it can come across as clichéd and forced. I loved the title "Gemini Rue" until there was this dialogue snippet along the lines of "he doesn't have to live this life of rue any longer", which seemed utterly shoe-horned in and a bit cheesy. It just doesn't seem like a thing you'd say unless you really wanted to use that exact word.
I'm extremely satisfied with the title The Samaritan Paradox, to the point that it might be the best aspect of the game - too good for the game, almost. Awww.
A Golden Wake is a superb title, in every way. Shardlight slightly less so, because it struck me as pretty apparent from the outset that the shards were basically painted as cool lighting effects (the kind of lighting Ben is known to use in his art), and they might not be essential enough to the game to be the basis of its title. But that's just my two cents.
Looking forward to the big 100!
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 06 Sep 2016, 05:26
BTW Toque-Babylon is basically my life, so don't forget old Mite when your mocking Canada..
I think you should name your game 'Hard Raven', it is very much Poe-Dickens and it is also a terrible name that won't be found on another IP, totally safe.
Post by: Yitcomics on 06 Sep 2016, 08:59
Not sure if you guys have covered any of this topic yet since I haven't listen to all of them but here's some suggestions for #100:
:) Where do you guys see yourself in the next 5-10 years,any big plans or dreams?
8-) There are a lot of indie games these days,too many games so little time.What are your thoughts on making a game standout from the rest.
:-\ I have always found that my puzzles is either too simple,cliche or boring and when I try to fix it,it's too convoluted or you could say not
"Realism" enough.How do you find a middle ground.
:-D Is there any books that you have read that was inspirational for your "Adventure game making" that you'd recommend to us.It could be about
drawing background or maybe how to think about puzzles,anything.
Post by: Grundislav on 15 Oct 2016, 16:06
Thanks to all who submitted questions, and sorry to Yitcomics whose questions I didn't see in time!
Post by: selmiak on 16 Oct 2016, 01:34
Post by: Yitcomics on 16 Oct 2016, 04:05
Episode 100 is finally here! (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_100.mp3)
Thanks to all who submitted questions, and sorry to Yitcomics whose questions I didn't see in time!
Aww man....oh well ;). I'm gonna go listen to episode 100# right away.
Post by: SilverSpook on 16 Oct 2016, 10:51
RE: What would you do with a larger team / budget -- makes sense! And I hope Grundislav gets that string quartet* for Lamplight. That was one of my favorite things about Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magick Obscura. I'd probably buy the game just for the soundtrack!
*Bonus points if you get The Kronos Quartet.
Post by: Andail on 18 Oct 2016, 10:40
Am I the special guest you've been trying to get on the show (again)?
Because in that case I might have missed the pm. And the facebook message. And the email.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 18 Oct 2016, 13:03
Andail: We should totally get you on again to talk about your new project, doing graphics in higher resolutions and the like!
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 18 Oct 2016, 19:57
Now to listen :)
Post by: Ponch on 07 Nov 2016, 04:01
Looking forward to the next episode and the annual updating of the title of this thread. :=
Post by: Grundislav on 12 Nov 2016, 12:42
Post by: xenogia on 12 Nov 2016, 17:36
Post by: Ponch on 13 Nov 2016, 13:19
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 15 Nov 2016, 19:32
Ben I think you will be proud of me to hear I've started playing Earthbound SNES (Wii U is awesome for old games because it's also a great handheld) such great 90s Japanese humour!
Battletoads is great two player fun, spent so much time playing that with my brother, came close but never finished, also Double Dragon 2 which I've just started playing with my son.
Anywho, loved the pod cast and appreciate the bit of Chris Roberts trivia :-D he probably has several Ferraris now that he is the uber-king of crowd funding.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 16 Nov 2016, 01:54
I wasn't expecting to learn that Ben is cruel to children who can't afford nice Halloween costumes. :=
Neither were those children. :=
Ben I think you will be proud of me to hear I've started playing Earthbound SNES (Wii U is awesome for old games because it's also a great handheld) such great 90s Japanese humour!
I have always been proud of you. :cheesy:
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 18 Nov 2016, 08:48
Oh that's so nice of you to say 304 :-[I wasn't expecting to learn that Ben is cruel to children who can't afford nice Halloween costumes. :=
Neither were those children. :=Ben I think you will be proud of me to hear I've started playing Earthbound SNES (Wii U is awesome for old games because it's also a great handheld) such great 90s Japanese humour!
I have always been proud of you. :cheesy:
(Now to begin pursuing the approval of Grundi...
shill
shill
shill
shill
shill)
Post by: Grundislav on 18 Nov 2016, 14:45
Post by: Grundislav on 19 Nov 2016, 15:59
Post by: Ponch on 20 Nov 2016, 00:08
Post by: Mr Underhill on 22 Nov 2016, 15:43
I still can't wrap my head around Ben animating walk cycles straightforward though, that sounds crazy and I've gotta try it someday! :)
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 29 Nov 2016, 09:24
Keep up the good fight brothers!
Post by: Grundislav on 14 Jan 2017, 16:14
Happy 2017! We're back and talking about studying art for inspiration and education.
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 16 Jan 2017, 22:32
(I don't think a semblance of composition would hurt my work at this point)
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 16 Jan 2017, 22:45
Ongoing Full Throttle scenery studies! (https://twitter.com/i/moments/821086210344960001) (these will be eventually be compiled into a full sized PDF on the blog, which will be easier to read, but for now you can get them here)
Post by: Grundislav on 04 Feb 2017, 15:18
Pete Coolguy aka Pesty aka Amberle Johnson joins us to talk about our favorite adventure games, rare collectibles, and circus sweaters!
Post by: Buckethead on 04 Feb 2017, 15:38
Post by: Danvzare on 04 Feb 2017, 16:22
Wow I have never listened to any of these. Seems I have a lot of catching up to do.Same here, currently I'm up to episode 10. So much to catch up on. :-D
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 06 Feb 2017, 20:47
So great, I think Cool Guy Pete needs to return to the forums, great taste princess tomatoe (never did beat it, something about a prison I think)
Grundi, Guybrush only became a nerd when they restyled him for Curse.
Post by: Grundislav on 18 Mar 2017, 15:08
A Post-GDC Wrap Up and general catching up.
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 22 Mar 2017, 06:14
I know you guys hate every AGS'r evaaar, but can you please date or number or wahtever it takes to make it so a new episode will appear as such when you upload it (I use the Podcasts app for my IPhone).. It's unnecessarily difficult to find new shows :~( Chris Jones would have wanted it that way.
I do enjoy your show! AND I finished A Golden Wake [you owe me Grundi]
Post by: Grundislav on 22 Mar 2017, 13:45
Post by: Quintaros on 22 Mar 2017, 13:59
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 22 Mar 2017, 14:42
But exactly what Quintaros said ^^ is my experience.
Post by: Stupot on 23 Mar 2017, 01:24
Post by: Grundislav on 23 Mar 2017, 05:16
Post by: Grundislav on 29 Apr 2017, 15:37
Adventure legend Brian Moriarty joins us for a chat, and yes, we ask him about LOOM.
Post by: LameNick on 16 May 2017, 19:50
You better have some good jokes about pedophilia and genitalia for me next time or!!!
tic...tac..
Post by: Grundislav on 20 May 2017, 15:36
Difficulty/challenges in adventure games.
Post by: selmiak on 21 May 2017, 22:50
"The challenge of designing puzzles that are challenging is the challenge in itself!" :-D (@40:25)
also Ben's idea that having a complex puzzle spread out over a huge area is not very engaging is something I totally understand. But it is cool if you need some things from the various places and these things all can be solved by solving puzzles at that one place and finally all the treasures from the different places combine to solve the uber riddle. Sometimes it could make sense to have the fishing rod needed at the seashore and not at the mountainlake where you actually need it. this needs good balance.
Post by: Yitcomics on 23 May 2017, 03:33
Now that's an interesting theme!
"The challenge of designing puzzles that are challenging is the challenge in itself!" :-D (@40:25)
Sounds like this is the podcast I've been waiting for, gonna listen to it right away. :-D
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 23 May 2017, 05:33
also Ben's idea that having a complex puzzle spread out over a huge area is not very engaging is something I totally understand. But it is cool if you need some things from the various places and these things all can be solved by solving puzzles at that one place and finally all the treasures from the different places combine to solve the uber riddle. Sometimes it could make sense to have the fishing rod needed at the seashore and not at the mountainlake where you actually need it. this needs good balance.
Yeah, I definitely think it's very satisfying to bring elements from one place to another place and use those to bypass a big obstacle. The problem - for me - is when it's not super clear that something is the big obstacle, and I think that's the primary challenge, wasting a long time on that without realizing there are another 3 obstacles I should be focusing on instead, I think! As you say, it all needs balance.
Post by: Mr Underhill on 24 May 2017, 10:14
If I may suggest a topic of discussion, I think readability would make for an interesting podcast. And by that I mean stuff from signposting and visually clue-ing the player to actual visual readability, using contrasts, balance of textures and details... Basically what is needed to communicate with the player in a clear and aesthetically pleasing fashion. Just a thought :) Keep them coming, gentlemen!
Post by: Snarky on 07 Jun 2017, 08:27
Anyway, I really like how intense you are about games and art.
Post by: Grundislav on 10 Jun 2017, 15:22
It's our 5 year podcasting anniversary! A discussion about readability and spotlighting in background composition (thanks for the suggestion Mr Underhill)
Post by: Ponch on 11 Jun 2017, 02:15
Post by: Snarky on 13 Jun 2017, 21:31
Personally I lean towards Francisco's side in both arguments: I think that if it's fair and well-thought-out, there's nothing wrong with having timers in adventure games, and that there are a number of examples of games and puzzles that use them well. (In fact, Ben's favorite puzzle, Guybrush stuck underwater with the idol, is a timed puzzle: after ten minutes you die. On the other hand, I do NOT agree that it's an adventure game in-joke. It's just a slightly absurdist lateral-thinking puzzle, since the idol obviously isn't heavy enough to keep you underwater, and you picked it up before – if we want to rationalize it at all, we can say the reason Guybrush can't just drag it after him is that it's stuck in the mud.) I also don't think action sequences in adventure games are necessarily a problem – though like Ben with mazes I think I'm in a minority there, and they are admittedly rarely done well.
However, Ben's point about trying to find some more organic way to create tension and urgency is also valid. I don't think a timer should be bolted on to try to impose urgency without changing anything else in the design. If you do a timer (particularly a deadly one), it should ideally be as part of some major gameplay mechanic and central to the game.
The game that comes to mind that really convinces me that timers have a place, though, is The Longest Journey, where on a couple of occasions you're fighting monsters (I think one's a witch and one's a shark, but it's been a while) and supposedly in danger of your life. However, since the game has no deaths and there's no timer, the tension Ragnar was trying to build felt completely fake – you can just walk away from the game in the middle of the fight, get a snack, come back and they'll still be tussling without anything having changed. It's ridiculous. It doesn't matter how character-based your writing is if the gameplay undermines it, and urgency is fundamentally incompatible with just faffing about indefinitely.
Going back to genre in-jokes and breaking the fourth wall, I think that although you can do fun examples of them, they're seldom done well and there are way too many of them in too many games where they don't belong. "Don't make adventure game jokes in adventure games!" should certainly not be an absolute rule, but it's pretty good advice to most game makers. I forget: do you talk about Thimbleweed Park in one of the later episodes?
Post by: Grundislav on 13 Jun 2017, 22:02
Post by: Snarky on 13 Jun 2017, 22:15
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 14 Jun 2017, 00:24
I certainly think it's important to not generalise when it comes to timers, mazes, deaths and action sequences. I only have to think of Fate of Atlantis, which used all four of these and still feels very enjoyable to play - perhaps even because of these elements, in some cases, though I accept that many dislike parts in Atlantis - to be convinced.
What I do think is important, though, is that players be notified of this stuff so that they can save their game appropriately, or even rely on autosaves to counter them (as we use in WEG), and make it obvious that "This is why you failed". A friend had to retry that granny bakery puzzle about 20 times because he'd clicked on the right thing, but just as the timer was expiring, so he thought he'd clicked the wrong thing. He then tried every other weird combination before coming back to it, in frustration, and solving the section.
As for Thimbleweed Park, I watched someone play a little bit of it - up to the Sheriff-a-rena-a-whoo chap. I was mostly surprised that it has even more fourth wall breaking jokes than Monkey Island does. I haven't started it myself, though, because various friends of mine have had incredibly negative reactions to playing the game, especially the ending, and so I've not been in a rush to try it too much for myself. It's one of those games that seems to be quite divisive, though, as I also know several friends who've thought its brand of humour is pure genius. :smiley:
Post by: Snarky on 14 Jun 2017, 07:50
Clearly a good timer puzzle/mechanic requires careful design and implementation. And I was entirely on your side when Francisco started talking about limiting saves to avoid save-scumming. That to me smacks of taking something that isn't working, and instead of fixing it, just propping it up with another bad design decision. (Of course, in brainstorming there are bound to be some bad ideas along the way, and I didn't get the impression that it was more than a passing thought.)
I'm glad you brought up Fate of Atlantis, since that was one of the games that came to mind as a counterexample wrt action sequences. Not that the fight mechanic is all that brilliant, but I feel strongly that the inclusion of fighting (as well as car racing, flying, that mine cart-ish bit on the Atlantis drill vehicle, and other mini-games) helps to set the tone of the game. It gives it an epic feel and at least gestures towards its blockbuster movie origins. Even if you don't consider these sequences all that successful in isolation (personally I think several of them are pretty cool, and always appreciate the variety in gameplay), I think it demonstrates that the whole is sometimes greater than the sum of the parts. Conquests of the Longbow is another good example: is the target shooting a great gameplay element in its own right? Not really. But would it be a good idea to cut it and leave you with a Robin Hood game without any bow-and-arrow action? Absolutely not.
To me, Thimbleweed Park was really interesting, almost as much for the things it did wrong as for the things it did right – and there are some major entries on both sides of the ledger. I guess the split in reactions is understandable in that light, but I'm surprised at how extreme opinions are on both ends.
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 14 Jun 2017, 08:48
I agree that action stuff definitely helps certain games work. Indy, Conquests of Camelot/The Longbow, Quests for Glory, Full Throttle and the like have both narratives and character that almost demand action sequences of the script. Sometimes it's okay to do clever things within the existing mechanics, such as with insult swordfighting, but actiony sequences are definitely worthwhile, too. We have things along these lines in both Technobabylon and Shardlight - to varying degrees of success, probably - and I think some of this comes down to the "adventure" part of the genre - it's fun for danger to be dangerous.
I also completely understand when players complain about the action in, well, all of those mentioned before. It's clearly not everybody's cup of tea. Nothing is. Especially limiting saves to prevent save scumming. :=
Post by: Grundislav on 14 Jun 2017, 15:36
In any case, I do believe timers are generally a bad idea, but in dangerous situations it makes sense if they're there, but generous. And yeah, limiting saves is not a good idea either.
Post by: Danvzare on 15 Jun 2017, 11:26
In any case, I do believe timers are generally a bad idea, but in dangerous situations it makes sense if they're there, but generous. And yeah, limiting saves is not a good idea either.Agreed, I think a good example of a timer done right is on Broken Sword 2, out on the docks when you knock on the door. If you don't solve the puzzle in time, you get shot in the face. It makes you feel the urgency, and you're also unlikely to fail.
A good example of a timer done wrong is on Broken Sword 1... I think we all know which one I'm talking about.
Post by: Snarky on 15 Jun 2017, 20:43
I've now caught up on the last 40 or so episodes of the podcast, and it's been weird to have your voices in my head pretty much constantly for weeks on end. Thanks for the shoutout in #108, ha ha.
Since you asked for topic suggestions, a couple of things came to mind while listening:
Community interaction: You interact with other (indie) game devs in all sorts of ways (online and at conventions, meetups...), and with the broader adventure game community through a number of different channels (the podcast, blogging, articles on various gaming sites, this forum, via Twitter...). How has that affected you and your work? Why do you do it and what do you get out of it (examples)? Are there some communication channels you consider particularly important for particular purposes? Is it possible to generalize about what the different overlapping communities you are part of are like?
On the other side, what are the drawbacks and pitfalls? Have you experienced difficulties? When is it just a waste of time? Are there some dynamics or tendencies in some communities or on some communication channels that you consider problematic or at least unhelpful? "Gamer culture" is sometimes accused of being "toxic" – and some people feel that way about the AGS Forums; do you agree at all, regarding any community you've been a part of?
How has your experience changed, for better and worse, as you've become better known? And what advice would you give to other game makers (both hobbyists and those seeking to make a career) about engaging with different communities?
Mazes: You have different opinions about them, but it would be interesting to hear a more extended analysis/critique of them, and what makes them good or bad. To me it's an interesting question in particular because there's a huge variety within what we call adventure game "mazes": Ones that are consistent and can be mapped vs. ones that just teleport you around at random and eventually spit you back out (or kill you) unless you know the trick. Ones where there's some trick or strategy to find the right path (even though you can brute-force it if you have the patience) vs. ones that are just a matter of exhaustive exploration. Ones that offer in-game automapping vs. ones that don't. Ones that offer some other gameplay mechanic within the maze vs. ones where you just have to find your way through. Ones that are procedurally generated vs. ones that are pre-designed and static. Big mazes vs. small mazes. Repetitive mazes (where you often literally cannot tell one room from another) vs. varied mazes. Mazes with a whole lot of different camera perspectives: 3rd person fixed orientation room-by-room (easy to map) vs. 3rd person varying orientation room-by-room vs. 1st person vs. top-down (local view) vs. top-down/high-camera segment-view (like in Fate of Atlantis where you can see a quarter of the map at a time, or Conquests of the Longbow in the garden maze) vs. full view of the entire thing (usually only meaningful if there's some other gameplay involved, like a chase) vs. "hidden pathways" (like the "maze of doors" that connect in unpredictable ways), vs. no doubt others I've forgotten. Then there are "deserts": large regions where you can walk anywhere but have to locate some particular place. And for mazes with clues/tricks, there are different common types: following someone, constructing some kind of compass/guide, following clues from a song/poem/headstone/recipe, noticing some subtle hint on each screen...
How do factors such as these interact to make for a good or a bad maze? And even if your maze is good, are mazes just so hated now that you can't get away with them?
When does your game world become a maze, anyway? Can you connect screens in complex ways without turning it into a maze?
Post by: Ponch on 18 Jun 2017, 01:31
Also, EVERYBODY loves mazes! :=
Post by: Mr Underhill on 18 Jun 2017, 17:01
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 19 Jun 2017, 03:49
Post by: Mr Underhill on 21 Jun 2017, 09:31
Great episode. I'm just in the middle of designing some hotspot-light backgrounds where the focus is less on exploring and more on dialog, and was just pondering the level of detail that should go into it. I was initially going to keep everything really sparse so as not to distract from the conversations, but Ben highlighted some aspects that I hadn't thought about, so I made a note to at some point consider the opposite. This is what I really enjoy about the podcast - a lot of the time Ben and Francisco say exactly what I think about an issue, but sometimes it will be the flip side that hadn't occured to me. And that's one of the main reasons I love this podcast. That and the constant giggling :)
Looking forward to the next one!
Post by: Grundislav on 01 Jul 2017, 12:23
Jacob Janerka, creator of Paradigm, joins us to talk game design and the challenges of your first release.
Post by: Grundislav on 08 Jul 2017, 14:12
MAZES!
Post by: Snarky on 09 Jul 2017, 08:49
I've been catching up on even older episodes, including a couple where you already talked about some of the maze-things I mentioned. Also, I never realized the color of my trees was such a topic of conversation... 8-)
I got the impression from ep. 109 that Ben has now played Thimbleweed Park (but who can tell now that you don't spend an hour talking about everything you've played every episode?), so here's another topic idea based on that:
Changing a game after release. TP has had at least two major patches since its initial release that change some major elements of the gameplay experience (one reduces the number of in-jokes, one of the most common review criticisms, and another adds the ability for the different playable characters to talk to each other). Obviously patches and DLC are routine in other genres, and some AGS games have changed significantly between e.g. the MAGS version and a later release, but what does it mean for adventure game makers and players when the version that was released and reviewed initially is no longer representative of the game as it is now?
Post by: Snarky on 15 Aug 2017, 13:07
OK, I now want dramatic readings of all my forum posts. Thanks!
Listening to an old episode (#56, I think), I noticed something relevant to my other topic suggestion. You addressed one pitfall of the AGS community: accepting the community's (freeware) standards and becoming a bit naive about what's required of a commercial release. (Vice versa, I'd argue that the rise of commercial AGS games is in danger of putting the threshold too high for newbies.)
I also had another topic idea: When to give up. You've talked about the skills needed to finish a game, you've talked about cutting stuff that isn't working, and you've occasionally mentioned games you never finished. But how do you know when it's time to walk away from a project? (Either your own projects or collaborations.)
Post by: Ponch on 20 Aug 2017, 00:58
Episode 110 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_110.mp3)Hooray! :cheesy: :cheesy: :cheesy:
MAZES!
Post by: Mr Underhill on 20 Aug 2017, 12:23
Post by: Amayirot Akago on 20 Aug 2017, 17:01
Quote from: BlueCupTools Twitter, 2 days ago
Taking another week off because @ben_304 has a wee cough! Back soon :)
Post by: Grundislav on 26 Aug 2017, 14:18
Community relations!
Post by: m0ds on 27 Aug 2017, 19:59
Post by: Snarky on 27 Aug 2017, 21:52
Regarding negative experiences on the AGS forums, it's probably something moderators see a lot more of, since we get the complaints. I didn't mean to suggest it has anything to do with "toxic gamer culture" – it's hard to generalize over what gets people upset, it's really individual (and often unpredictable). But you see people talking crap about the forums elsewhere on the internet as well, usually about us being too cliquish and standoffish, and you touched on it being intimidating. It's hard to tell from the inside what creates that impression (sure, with Mittens and other meetups, IRC etc. we're probably more tightly knit than many other online communities), and I don't remember feeling that way myself when I first joined the forums.
I've almost finished listening through the backlog of episodes, so there aren't going to be as many topic suggestions from me going forward. (Since it's listening to the podcast that tends to inspire topic ideas.) However, how about... ?
The future evolution of adventure games. You're both working on games that to some extent move away from traditional inventory-puzzle-based adventure gameplay, and many of the biggest titles these days do the same. Why do you want to work on "less traditional" games? Have adventure games finally got past being stuck in the 1990s? Does that mean puzzles are outdated? Are there other genre conventions we could stand to lose? What should a modern adventure game play like, today or five years from now?
Post by: SilverSpook on 27 Aug 2017, 22:59
Post by: Grundislav on 02 Sep 2017, 15:21
Knowing when to give up.
Post by: Stupot on 03 Sep 2017, 06:13
Knowing when to give up has rarely been a problem for me because I generally tend to have already given up before it has even become a question.
There was one project I'd been stubbornly calling 'active' even though I hardly made any progress but despite it being fairly far through production and despite getting some help with some animations I officially have up on it because I just didnt like it any more. It was quite liberating really.
Post by: Snarky on 04 Sep 2017, 09:46
You argued that one good reason to give up (at least if you're doing it as a hobby) is if it's no longer fun. But I remember you saying in earlier episodes that at some point every project you've worked on has become a chore; you burn out, lose faith in it or can no longer appreciate the things that drew you to it in the first place. It seems like that's something you just have to power through if you're going to finish anything.
Is it reasonable to expect every step in game development to be fun in its own right, or are there some things you just have to do because they have to be done? I mean, even if you like downhill skiing (to take another hobby) you probably don't enjoy standing in line for the ski lift, but it's just an (almost) unavoidable part of the experience: You have to put up with a bit of boredom to get the overall enjoyment. Unless you absolutely can't stand the unenjoyable part, it's probably not a good reason to give up on an otherwise fun and rewarding activity.
Good luck with the publishers, Grundislav! Hope it all works out soon.
Also, moderators can edit the thread title, if you want to bypass Ben's inaction.
Post by: C.L.I.C.K. on 04 Sep 2017, 11:27
Also, moderators can edit the thread title, if you want to bypass Ben's inaction.Long live the PODCATS!
Post by: Stupot on 04 Sep 2017, 13:29
Woah!!! No way. Am I the only one who has never even noticed that since it was changed 4 years ago? Incredible.Also, moderators can edit the thread title, if you want to bypass Ben's inaction.Long live the PODCATS!
Post by: Andail on 07 Sep 2017, 19:36
Post by: m0ds on 07 Sep 2017, 21:39
...die of alcohol poisoning in that last episode ;) Nice stuff though, interesting discussion!
Post by: Snarky on 15 Oct 2017, 09:23
When you're making a game, you often need to run it for testing/debugging purposes, e.g. to check that an animation looks right, or to test that an interaction you just scripted works, try to figure out why a bug is happening, etc. AGS has some simple debugging features built in (e.g. a debugger with breakpoints, teleport to a certain room, ...), and there are other tools and modules designed to help during development (like Monsieur OUXX's brand new Breakpoints/DisplayGUI module, or the SpeechCenter plugin to create voice acting scripts). I seem to remember seeing a devstream that showed a little control panel to adjust the positions of animations in-game (though I'm not sure how it was exported/saved). Do you use any of these? Do you implement any features of your own to assist you during the development, like ways to bypass certain puzzles? Are there any tools/features you're missing that could make your life easier?
I'm working on a game right now that has a bunch of randomness to it, and I'm thinking that for testing I'll need some way to bypass and control the results directly, so I don't have to try something ~100 times to check that the thing with 1% chance works correctly. Stuff like that.
Similarly, are there particular apps outside of AGS that you rely on to make your games, and do you benefit from particular tricks, shortcuts, plugins or macros in those apps?
Post by: Ponch on 17 Oct 2017, 02:09
Sorry for the false hope, BCT-fans.oh... :sad: :sad:
Good topic suggestions, though. I don't know about GrundlBen, but I load all my games with debug codes to make my life (and the lives of my playtesters) easier. :cool: Just remember to disable them before you make the game available to the rest of the world.
Post by: Grundislav on 09 Dec 2017, 13:55
Episode 113 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_113.mp3)
Taking different approaches.
Post by: Stupot on 09 Dec 2017, 22:29
Hey, a new episode!Cool. Is it on iTunes yet? I can't see it.
Episode 113 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_113.mp3)
Taking different approaches.
Post by: Snarky on 10 Dec 2017, 09:19
Cool. Is it on iTunes yet? I can't see it.+1
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 13 Dec 2017, 04:22
+2Cool. Is it on iTunes yet? I can't see it.+1
why can I only get 10kB/s download from your site?
And A Golden Wake was good, people are just now realizing that (maybe), I think back on it very fondly like Inherit the Earth
Post by: Ponch on 24 Dec 2017, 03:21
Holy Snickerdoodle! A Podcast!!!Sweet biscuits, you're right! And just in time for Christmas!
Post by: Grundislav on 15 Jan 2018, 18:03
Post by: Grundislav on 27 Jan 2018, 15:10
Beta testing. Thanks to Jean Baptiste for the suggestion!
Post by: Ponch on 29 Jan 2018, 23:30
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 30 Jan 2018, 02:02
Post by: SilverSpook on 30 Jan 2018, 05:09
On the testing subject, I did have a hard time getting the level of feedback I needed to get Neofeud polished up in time for release, just using volunteers. I ended up finding one particularly good professional tester who was also a fan of point-and-clicks as well as my game. I ended up just paying a bit up front and a small revenue share, but in the end, it was totally worth it as he crushed countless bugs with literally almost a hundred pages of extremely detailed reports. Platform-port / Windows Update related bugs aside, I can still count on one or maybe two hands the number of bugs that have reported by players since. They are very few and far between, and saved me a lot of potential negative Steam reviews due to major-showstopping issues on launch. So if you're an indie short on budget, I'd recommend getting at least one pro, or very proficient tester, especially one who specializes in point-and-click or adventure games, especially if you're worried if your game hasn't had enough testing and there might be some time-bombs hidden in there.
Anyway, my two cents!
Looking forward to Lamplight City and Unavowed!
Post by: Grundislav on 10 Feb 2018, 16:04
Complex protagonists vs story non-linearity: why you can't have both (or can you?) Also, why are adventure game protagonists such assholes?
Post by: Stupot on 11 Feb 2018, 00:46
Also, why are adventure game protagonists such assholes?I haven’t listened yet but I’d also add ‘why are NPCs always such assholes?’ too. Seriously they are always so unhelpful. And the only reason for making an NPC unhelpful is so that you can insert a puzzle to either circumvent the unhelpful asshole or to Make said asshole more helpful.
Post by: selmiak on 11 Feb 2018, 11:14
and hearing you talk about other adv game characters while playing the whitness is also great, makes me wonder how the protagonist in the witness even looks like, you can't even see your own reflection in the water. There is no witness of the witness so to say. He probably looks something like king graham, his shadow has this same hat (or really weird hair).
(https://i.imgur.com/gkCeEdO.jpg)
Post by: Amayirot Akago on 11 Feb 2018, 15:25
Post by: ThreeOhFour on 11 Feb 2018, 18:32
I haven’t listened yet but I’d also add ‘why are NPCs always such assholes?’ too. Seriously they are always so unhelpful.
I feel this comes back down to the basic idea that that often NPCs aren't really characters present for any real purpose than for either comic relief, to antagonize and build drama in some way, or to be an obstacle of some sort - all of which can lead to characters being unpleasant to deal with.
Post by: Danvzare on 12 Feb 2018, 12:24
I haven’t listened yet but I’d also add ‘why are NPCs always such assholes?’ too. Seriously they are always so unhelpful.
I feel this comes back down to the basic idea that that often NPCs aren't really characters present for any real purpose than for either comic relief, to antagonize and build drama in some way, or to be an obstacle of some sort - all of which can lead to characters being unpleasant to deal with.
I always thought NPCS were there to provide hints and point you in the right direction.
They do tend to be assholes though. :-\
Post by: Snarky on 16 Feb 2018, 07:53
As for well-developed protagonists in non-linear games, the one that comes to mind immediately is Tex Murphy in The Pandora Directive. Tex is far from a blank slate, but the game allows you to play with different styles, letting him turn into a noir anti-hero, a hardboiled detective with integrity, or a straight-up good guy.
I think the key to making it work is to (1) place the character at a turning point where you believe the decision might genuinely go either way, e.g. setting up a dilemma or conflict between two of your character's core values, and (2) make sure both outcomes tell meaningful stories with satisfying character arcs. The big decision in The Shivah feels like that to me: in my mind the dark path is the "canon" outcome, mainly because it felt like a better fit with the genre and tone of the game, and I really believe Rabbi Stone could go either way on that subway platform, but I suspect most players assume the good ending is the official one.
Post by: Mr Underhill on 17 Feb 2018, 10:56
I don't remember if this has been discussed on the podcast before or not, but world-building would make for a pretty juicy topic, especially if you take into account decisions like going for a real-world location versus fantasy versus Sci-Fi versus steampunk etc.
Looking forward to the next one!
Post by: Snarky on 17 Feb 2018, 22:01
My thought, though, was that Guybrush's role in the games is actually more as a sidekick. More specifically, he's your (the player's) sidekick: the guy with the wisecracks and comic relief pratfalls while you go about the serious business of solving puzzles and so on. I think that's actually a quite ingenious piece of design.
Post by: Grundislav on 10 Mar 2018, 14:43
All about self care.
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 10 Mar 2018, 16:30
Post by: selmiak on 11 Mar 2018, 15:54
p.s. I don't do meth! probably the worst you can do to relax...!
Post by: Grundislav on 07 Apr 2018, 16:02
Making changes to your game after release.
Post by: Chicky on 08 Apr 2018, 16:28
Post by: Grundislav on 21 Apr 2018, 14:21
The importance of good sound design.
Post by: Sslaxx on 21 Apr 2018, 14:43
Post by: Mr Underhill on 23 Apr 2018, 09:24
Post by: Grundislav on 23 Jun 2018, 15:34
Episode 119 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_119.mp3)
Game jams!
Post by: Sslaxx on 23 Jun 2018, 15:56
Hey, it's been a while, but we're back!Thanks for existing! Always love to hear what you guys talk about.
Episode 119 (http://www.grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_119.mp3)
Game jams!
Post by: selmiak on 23 Jun 2018, 18:58
@304: any chance you recorded that wrong textured dancing character model hilarity? :-D
Post by: Creamy on 25 Jun 2018, 23:33
*Just to clarify, I didn't take part.
Good Luck on finishing Unavowed and Lamplight City.
Post by: Grundislav on 26 Jun 2018, 00:06
Post by: selmiak on 26 Jun 2018, 08:14
Post by: Ponch on 23 Aug 2018, 23:37
Post by: Grundislav on 24 Aug 2018, 01:29
Post by: Grundislav on 08 Dec 2018, 15:22
Episode 120 (http://grundislavgames.com/podcast/BCT_120.mp3)
Catching up on the last six months.
Post by: Sslaxx on 08 Dec 2018, 16:19
WE'RE ALIVE!Beats the alternative!
Post by: Stupot on 09 Dec 2018, 07:46
Post by: selmiak on 09 Dec 2018, 10:54
Post by: Chicky on 17 Dec 2018, 14:06
Post by: Layabout on 18 Dec 2018, 01:53
Post by: MiteWiseacreLives! on 19 Dec 2018, 04:11
Post by: Ponch on 21 Dec 2018, 20:59